893.102S/2203: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 20—2:55 p.m.]
719. Our 701, August 15, 6 p.m. During the course of a call at the Foreign Office today we were handed a document marked “oral” with the statement that it was intended to be merely by way of confirming the observations made on the occasion of the conversations referred to in our telegram No. 701.
The oral statement follows:
“The Japanese Government have noted, with satisfaction, the expression of hope and expectation of the American Government that there will be worked out, in a spirit of cooperation and good will, a new arrangement of the defense sectors necessitated by withdrawal [Page 781] of the British troops. The Japanese Government share the same hope and expectation.
However, some unexpected informations were received here as regards the attitude and actions of the American authorities in Shanghai which seems not quite conforming to such spirit as emphasized by the American Government.
- 1.
- Immediately after the receipt of the notice of withdrawal of the British troops, the American marine[s] proposed, without making any preliminary exchange of views, to take over the sectors hitherto allotted to the British forces and to call a meeting of the Defense Committee on August 12. The Japanese authorities, pointing out the shortness of notice, requested to have the meeting postponed until the 15th. The Committee, however, met on the 12th, with Colonel Peck, acting as chairman in the absence of the Japanese commandant, it attempted to adopt a resolution along the line of the American proposal.
- 2.
- At the meeting of the 15th Colonel Peck refused to expose the motive of his proposal when he was requested to do so by the Japanese commandant.
- 3.
- At the meeting of the Shanghai Municipal Council on August 16 American and British members of the Council, disregarding the opposition of the Japanese members, voted for a resolution supporting the proposal, to which the Japanese commandant had not consented at the Defense Committee.
It is to be noted that the Japanese authorities on the spot have been acting in a spirit of cooperation and good will since the very beginning. They have only been prevented by precipitate American actions from working out a fair and reasonable proposal of their own and paving the way to a satisfactory settlement through preliminary talks amongst the commandants concerned. Information has now been received that the commandant of the Japanese marines in Shanghai took the initiative for holding such preliminary talks; Vice Admiral Iwamura has been in contact with Bear Admiral Glassford since August 17.
The Japanese Government do not feel it necessary for the moment to have any discussion of the matter through diplomatic channels with other governments. They are confident that the issue can be left to the discussion, in and out of committee, among commandants concerned in Shanghai.”
Sent to the Department. Repeated to Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Chungking, Peiping and to Commander in Chief.