793.94/9315: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:25 p.m.]
407. 1. According to a responsible official of the Foreign Office no demands have as yet been presented by the Japanese Embassy to the Foreign Office in connection with the Shanghai incident of August 9. He states that yesterday the Japanese Consul General at Shanghai in the course of 3-hour conversation with the Shanghai Mayor made several “proposals or demands”, including (1) apology; (2) compensation for families of victims; (3) withdrawal of Peace Preservation Corps; (3 [4]) removal of Chinese barricades near the International Settlement. Last evening Japanese Counselor at Nanking called on the Administrative Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and requested that the Chinese authorities in Shanghai be instructed to arrange “an equitable settlement”.
2. He said the demands concerning apology and compensation could be easily negotiated because action upon them would depend upon the question of responsibility as determined by investigation. The other two, in every particular, were a stumbling block in the way of reaching an amicable settlement of the incident. The advance posts of the Paoantui had already been withdrawn as a conciliatory measure but he did not believe that the Government would be willing to order the Paoantui to withdraw as desired by the Japanese [Page 379] and it was doubtful whether the Paoantui would willingly obey such orders if issued.
Sent to the Department, Peiping, Tokyo. By mail to Shanghai.