793.94/9719: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:32 p.m.]
530. Your 181, August 25, 9 p.m. Hu Shih called on me on August 21 and stated that he was still optimistic about peace negotiations. He said that when he arrived in Nanking on July 28 he went to see the Generalissimo and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and urged upon them the necessity of keeping open diplomatic relations with Japan and of their accepting responsibility of attempting to find a peaceful settlement even to the point of being ready to discuss thoroughly with the Japanese all possible fundamental differences between the two countries. His idea was first a truce with restoration of the status quo ante bellum and after 3 months a second and final step would be an official peace conference at which all matters could be discussed and settled. He said that authorities were favorably disposed and had even invited Kawagoe to come to Shanghai to meet an emissary, but that all this was stopped when trouble began at Shanghai on the 13th. Hu Shih stated that the Shanghai trouble had completely obliterated his first opinions, but that he was still optimistic and had recently again sought out the Generalissimo; however, he had found him somewhat less interested in peace measures.
[Page 475]Hu Shih then referred to the proposal of the consuls at Shanghai which called for the evacuation of Shanghai by the forces of both sides. He said that he felt that General [Mayor] Yui’s response to this proposal, while official, was not completely final, and that there was a possibility that responsible Chinese authorities might yet be willing to accept it. I told Hu Shih that if responsible persons in the Chinese Government were to place before me and my colleagues a definite undertaking to accept the consular proposal as a basis for discussion, I felt no doubt that we would be willing to transmit this in order that it might be placed before the Japanese Government. Hu Shih stated that he expected to attend a meeting on the night of the 21st and would see whether something could be done along this line. I have not heard from him since. I did not report this conversation to Washington as I did not consider it of sufficient importance. I decided to await further word from Hu Shih which he referred to.
I do not know what is meant by the Davidson neutral zone plan unless it is the consular proposal referred to by Hu Shih and reported in Shanghai’s 473, August 13, 9 p.m., to the Department.66 On the other hand the press at Shanghai at one time designated the British proposal referred to in the Department’s telegram 165, August 19, 10 p.m.,67 as having been put forward by British Acting Consul General Davidson at Shanghai.
Sent to the Department. Repeated to Peiping.
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 346.↩
- Not printed; it transmitted Department’s views on the British proposal as set forth in memorandum to the British Embassy, August 19, p. 449.↩