Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1932, The Far East, Volume III

793.94/5374

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck) of a Conversation With the Chief of Staff, United States Army (MacArthur)

[Washington,] April 13, 1932.

I have talked with General MacArthur about this.⁶⁰

General MacArthur says that the 31st Regiment is absolutely at the disposal of the Department of State. He says that if he may volunteer his own opinion it would be his advice that the regiment be kept at Shanghai until the situation is much more clear than at present. He thinks that there is danger of a lot more trouble there and that it would give a bad impression as well as be taking chances to remove them. He points out that it is much easier for the British to move a battalion or two up and down the coast between Shanghai and Hong Kong—and a matter to which they are quite accustomed—than for us to move our forces back and forth from Manila. He says that the British are confronted with something of an emergency in view of Japanese threats in relation to Canton; and that if he were the British he would move that battalion back to Hong Kong just now, but that the fact of their doing so is not in itself sufficient reason for us to remove our regiment. He suggests that, coming right on the heels of the vote the other day on the Philippine Bill,⁶¹ it would give further suggestion that our policy in the Far East is one of “scuttling”. He concluded by stating that the regiment was getting on all right and was not needed at Manila. I inquired whether they were comfortable at Shanghai, and General MacArthur replied that they were and we need not give ourselves any uneasiness on that score.

I said that we would probably be hearing from Admiral Taylor and that we would of course take no steps in the matter without consulting the War Department further. The General repeated that the 31st Regiment is entirely at our disposal. I said that we appreciated that attitude but that we consider the question one for constant consultation and cooperation between the three Departments most concerned. General MacArthur said that he appreciated that attitude. I said that when we heard from Admiral Taylor we would consult him further.

Commander Lammers called at my office and in the course of the conversation I asked whether the Navy Department had had anything new from Admiral Taylor on this subject. He said that they had not.

60. i.e., possible reduction of armed forces at Shanghai (see telegram of April 13, 6 p.m., from Minister Johnson at Shanghai, p. 689).
61. H. R. 7233, as amended, passed by the House of Representatives, 307 to 47, April 4, 1932; Congressional Record, vol. 75, pt. 7, pp. 7401, 7411. The bill became law January 17, 1933 (47 Stat. 761).