793.94/9245: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 9—7:15 a.m.]
394. Department’s 132, August 7, 2 p.m., and my 390, August 8, 1 p.m.
1. The telegrams in reference crossed in transmission. The same five Ambassadors at a conference August 9, 11 a.m., unanimously accepted the draft communication to the Japanese Embassy given in my August 8, 1 p.m., and also approved a draft of a corresponding communication to the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs. The second draft uses the same opening. And then reads:
“In an oral communication addressed by Your Excellency to some of the Ambassadors most interested there has been indicated the desire of the Chinese authorities to avoid all hostilities in the Shanghai [Page 361] region. Basing our action on this communication the undersigned diplomatic representatives are addressing a communication to His Excellency, the Japanese Ambassador, expressing the hope that the Japanese authorities concerned may be willing to give indication of a similar desire on their side to avoid any action which might lead to an increase in the tension, or to armed clashes with the Chinese forces in that area.
We are confident in the belief that the Chinese Government will do all in its power to carry out effectively the plan of excluding the Shanghai area from the scope of any possible hostilities and we should welcome any additional assurance to that effect which Your Excellency may feel able to give.”
2. My colleagues are ready at once to sign these communications as a preliminary to any further steps to obviate hostilities in the Shanghai area which the interested powers may later decide to take in Tokyo or Nanking. While I feel that the Department’s August 7, 2 p.m., would authorize me to sign the two communications, out of caution I shall await Department’s reply to my August 8, 1 p.m.
Repeated to Tokyo.