793.94/9643
The Department of State to the British Embassy
The American Government acknowledges receipt of the British Embassy’s aide-mémoire of August 20 with regard to the situation at Shanghai.
As stated in the Department’s memorandum of August 19, it appeared to this Government at that time that the question of a possible assumption of a joint responsibility such as is envisaged in the British Government’s proposal had already been disposed of, adversely, by the attitude of the Japanese Government in regard to the proposal. All information available, including press reports and reports received from American official sources, tends conclusively to confirm that impression.