893.102S/2080: Telegram
The Consul at Shanghai (Butrick) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:20 p.m.]
512. Having in mind my 508, June 11, 3 p.m. and informing them that I did so on my own initiative, I spoke with my British colleague yesterday and with my German, French and Japanese colleagues today and asked them if they would like to indicate to me what they [Page 743] were doing to preserve peace, order and calm in Shanghai under present circumstances. They uniformly indicated that they were working to preserve peace, order and calm. My British colleague stated that the trading with the enemy acts were being liberally interpreted locally and that many Germans still were without inconvenience occupying British-owned apartments and houses. My German colleague discoursed lengthily indicating that so long as the attitude of the British and French was correct toward the Germans, as he admitted it had been almost without exception so far, he would do everything possible to prevent any overt acts by Germans.
He referred to a newspaper item in regard to fifth column activities here and stated that there were no armed Germans here. Most Germans kept fit by physical exercises but were not being schooled in military maneuvers, he stated. My French colleague pointed to the fact that Germans were residing without molestation in the French Concession and that only in five cases had action been taken to cause Germans to remove from the French Concession. He said that while precautions were being taken against possible surprises he was striving to his utmost to keep peace, order and calm. My Japanese colleague said that he was doing his best also. I referred to the great number of Jewish refugees in the Japanese defense sector and asked him if any of them were armed. He said they were not. I shall endeavor to consult my Italian colleague tomorrow.
Repeated to Chungking, Peiping, Tokyo.