793.94/11189
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The attention of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom has been drawn to reports of a statement alleged to have been made to the press on the 12th November by the General Officer commanding the Japanese troops at Shanghai to the effect that the Japanese would decide in due course what they would do about customs, postal services, censorship etc., in Shanghai. The General intimated that the Japanese would not tolerate obstructions from third parties.
His Majesty’s Ambassador at Tokio was thereupon instructed to draw the attention of the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs to this report and he urged that the General should be instructed as soon as possible to deal with all these matters in a conciliatory spirit. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was in full agreement as to the need for settling these matters in a peaceful atmosphere and he promised to study the question at once.
As the questions at issue also concern the United States Government, His Majesty’s Government hope that they will be able to see their way to instruct the United States Ambassador at Tokio to make parallel representations to the Japanese Government.