Office of the Historian

893.102S/2091a: Telegram

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

Washington, June 13, 1940—1 p.m.

201. Reference Shanghai’s 498, June 7, 3 p.m.,88 Shanghai’s 508, June 11, 3 p.m., and related telegrams in regard to the situation at Shanghai. Unless you perceive objection, please make an informal approach to the Japanese Foreign Office along lines as follows:89

“Of late, and no doubt due to some extent the intensification and spread of hostilities in Europe, there has been a deluge of rumors in regard to the International Settlement and French Concession at Shanghai. Amongst these was a baseless report released by Domei on June 5 that negotiations were in progress looking toward the transfer from the French to the American authorities of administrative [Page 744] and police duties in the French Concession. Other rumors have been to the effect that the Japanese military forces at Shanghai might attempt to take over the International Settlement and the French Concession. Needless to say, the Government of the United States does not credit these rumors. In view, however, of the persistence of the rumors and of the consequent uneasiness amongst American citizens and others at Shanghai, the Government of the United States offers for consideration by the Japanese Government the suggestion that the alarm caused by those rumors would be dispelled, and reassurance to the foreign communities at Shanghai would be afforded if the Japanese authorities were to make a public statement in whatever manner they might deem appropriate in reference to the foreign-administered areas at Shanghai along the general lines of the clear and categorical assurances given by the apanese Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador at Tokyo on May 13, 193990 (see your 222, May 13, 2 p.m., 193991).”

Sent to Tokyo. Repeated to Chungking, Peiping and Shanghai.

Hull
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. On June 19 the Counselor of Embassy in Japan (Dooman) made an informal and oral statement to the Japanese Foreign Office in the sense of the Department’s directive; and on June 20 the American Ambassador in Japan (Grew) took up the same matter personally with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs; see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 80.↩
  3. See memorandum by the Ambassador in Japan, May 13, 1939, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 841.↩
  4. Foreign Relations, 1939, vol. iv, p. 48.↩