Office of the Historian

893.102 Tientsin/359

The British Embassy to the Department of State87

Proposal Put Forward at Tokio on a Personal Basis by Sir R. Craigie on June 20th

1.
Blockade measures to be withdrawn.
2.
His Majesty’s Government to be prepared to discuss at once with Japanese Government all outstanding Anglo-Japanese questions relating to Tientsin on basis that
(a)
British authority in the concession is to be maintained intact.
(b)
All possible steps consistent with the maintenance of neutrality to be taken by His Majesty’s Government to ensure that the concession is not used for any purpose prejudicial to the local military or political interests of the occupying power.
3.
Negotiations to be pursued vigorously with a view to a very early settlement. Representatives of the British Consulate General and of the Japanese authorities in China to come to Tokio for the purpose.

Sir R. Craigie elaborated withdrawal of blockade measures (Point 1 above) as meaning measures interfering with the livelihood, personal [Page 196] liberty and food supplies of British subjects in Tientsin to be discontinued; and all discrimination against British subjects in measures taken by the Japanese authorities for defence against the terrorists to be removed.

The Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs read this paper and said that the difficulty was that there was a very strong feeling that the matter should be settled locally. Sir R. Craigie replied that in the atmosphere created by the harsh behaviour of the Japanese military authorities, negotiations on the spot would have little prospect of success. Tokio and London were the proper channel for a negotiation of such importance. The Japanese Government would assume serious responsibility in rejecting this venue. The Japanese Minister agreed to consider Sir R. Craigie’s suggestion carefully. It was agreed that if the Japanese Government were to decide definitely that negotiations must be conducted locally, the document would be returned to Sir R. Craigie and considered as “non avenu”.

Washington , June 23, 1939.
  1. Handed to the Under Secretary of State by the British Ambassador on June 23.↩