393.115/150: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
33. With reference to Shanghai’s 142 of January 26, 3 p.m., reporting looting of American property at Soochow and Hangchow, the Department transmits for your information the following telegram received from W. G. Cram, General Secretary, Board of Missions, M. E. Church South:
“Bishop Arthur J. Moore, in charge of Missions of Methodist Episcopal Church South in China, cables from Shanghai that he has visited Soochow where we have large holdings including Soochow [Page 255] University and Laura Haygood School for Girls. He reports all buildings looted, four buildings bombed, Japanese occupying others, using new chapel of Laura Haygood as horse stable. He has protested to American Consul Shanghai and advises we make representation to you. I respectfully request you take such action as you deem advisable and effective.”
These two telegrams are merely illustrative of the numerous complaints that are being received by the Department of the utter disregard shown by Japanese armed forces for American property in China.
Department desires that you address a formal note to the Foreign Office as under instructions from your Government calling attention to these numerous depredations as illustrated by these and other reports which have been sent to you and stating that your Government finds it impossible to reconcile these lawless acts directed against American missionary properties with the assurances repeatedly given by the Japanese Government that American rights and interests in China will be fully respected by the armed forces of the Japanese Government; that it appears that these incidents have occurred with the knowledge and some indeed in the presence of Japanese officials while others such as the occupancy of mission properties by Japanese troops were presumably by the express direction of military officers; that arbitrary entry and occupation, together with pilfering, looting and wanton destruction of property, can in no sense be regarded as acts of a character to be expected from a properly controlled military organization; that your Government assumes that the Japanese Government in nowise approves or condones such lawlessness and expects assurances from the Japanese Government (1) that it will take immediate and specific steps to put an end to the depredating of American properties and (2) that it will make full and complete indemnification for all losses and damages inflicted.46
- For Ambassador Grew’s representations and note of February 4, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, Vol. i, pp. 577 and 578.↩