793.94/9244: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 8—11:15 a.m.]
391. Hankow’s August 4, 10 a.m., to the Department,70 paragraph 2.
1. August 61 received the letter described by Hankow dated August 3 from the German Consul General at Hankow signed as Senior Consul and addressed to me as “Dean of the Diplomatic Body”.
2. The British, German and Italian Ambassadors and I and French Ambassador, represented by a secretary, signed a collective note to the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs and a letter to the Japanese Ambassador and Peck delivered them August 7, 5 p.m., to the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Counselor of the Japanese Embassy. Signatures were in order of seniority.
3. The text of the collective note follows:71
“August 7. We have the honor to state that our consular representatives at Hankow have reported to us that in their view grave danger threatens the lives, property and shipping of their respective nationals in Hankow because of the tense feeling between the Chinese authorities and the Japanese officials at that port.
The reports state that military preparations have been made by Chinese and Japanese forces and while both sides declare that these preparations are only for defense, such dispositions makes the outbreak of hostilities possible at any moment. If fighting should begin, it is obvious that the danger to life and property would not be confined to [Page 358] the two nations immediately concerned but would confront [threaten] all foreign nationals at this important center of trade.
The reports continue that no assurance can be given by the Chinese authorities or Japanese officials at Hankow that the hostilities which are feared will not occur. [Our consular representatives feel that it is their duty, therefore, to request that the matter be brought to the attention of the National Government.]
Because of the gravity of the crisis [danger] and loss which would immediately [confront] the Wuhan cities and foreign life [and property] there if hostilities should occur in that area, we hasten to bring this report to the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for transmission to the Departments of the National Government most concerned, with a request that measures be taken to avert hostilities in the Wuhan area, if that is possible, and that, in any event, sufficient warning of a crisis be given to the consular representatives to allow for the taking of such measures for the safety of foreign nationals as may be practicable.
A similar communication is being addressed to His Excellency, the Japanese Ambassador. We avail, et cetera”.
4. The text of the informal letter to the Japanese Ambassador was the same as that of the note mutatis mutandis.
- Vol. iv, p. 245.↩
- Corrected on basis of copy transmitted by the Ambassador in China in despatch No. 560, August 10; received October 11.↩