Office of the Historian

124.932/580: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, February 15, 1938—7 p.m.
[Received February 15—9:15 a.m.]

107. Nanking’s 54, February 12, 11 a.m.

1.
The Foreign Office this evening conveys to me the following oral statement:
  • [“] (a) The Japanese Government earnestly desires to settle as soon as possible the question of forcible entry by Japanese troops into the premises of the American Embassy at Nanking and to that end it has directed Major General Harada, Military Attaché of the Japanese Embassy and concurrently Chief Political Officer to the Expeditionary Forces, to express regrets to the designated officer of the American Government.
  • (b) The Japanese Government also desires to settle the cases of reported desecration of the American flag and the acting Japanese Consul General at Nanking has requested that Allison supply evidence in the various cases. Allison has supplied a memorandum setting forth the facts in each of the five different cases but he has not indicated the names of any eye witnesses. In these circumstances Harada is prepared now to express regrets for desecration of the American flag if such desecration shall have been established.”
2.
The Foreign Office hopes that I can recommend to the Department that it agree to the foregoing procedure as calculated to promote an early final settlement of these two questions.
3.
I cannot of course make any such recommendations. If the Department is not disposed to agree to the proposed procedure, it will seem desirable that the American officials concerned be directed to furnish to the Japanese authorities in China at an early date as complete and conclusive evidence as possible in all cases involving desecration of the American flag.

Repeated to Shanghai for Nanking and Hankow.

Grew