893.102S/2216: Telegram
The Consul at Shanghai (Butrick) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:40 p.m.]
829. With reference to the last substantive paragraph of my 811, August 21, 4 p.m. Vice Admiral Iwamura has verified the Glassford [Page 792] minutes of their meetings with certain exceptions which so far as I can see make no vital changes in the telegraphic report submitted by me. In his transmittal letter Iwamura states to Glassford, “I hope you will make full use of the written memorandum sent to you under date of August 17 [20].” This refers to the statement quoted in my 798, August 19, 4 p.m. from which Iwamura has requested that the phrase “as could be easily occupied by the Japanese forces” in paragraph 3 of section 1 be deleted as due to faulty translation.
With reference to the meeting which took place on the evening of August 17 reported in my 804, August 20, 4 p.m., Iwamura asks that his remarks as he recalls them be considered to have the following effect:
“I have had time to study the written statement of the American position submitted to me earlier in the afternoon. As I have stated already, the divergence between our views arises from the difference in our starting points; and I shall not enter a controversy on that point since I do not believe any conclusion could be reached in that way. However, I do want to stress the following two points:
- Firstly, a vital difference between us was to be found in our conceptions of the relative magnitude of our respective interests. For Japan it involved the question of our life or death as a nation; and since we were engaged in a struggle for our very national existence, the people of Japan, and particularly the Japanese forces stationed in this area, were very alert as to present developments in Shanghai and were observing the situation with a keen desire to see it settled favorably. For America, on the other hand, I believe that this question is primarily one of business interests in a region far removed from the home country.
- Secondly, ‘Sector 6–B’ might be called the heart of Shanghai, as well as the center of all the economic activities of China. As such, this sector serves as the basis for the continuance of China’s resistance. In that sense, ‘Sector 6–D’ is not to be compared in importance with ‘Sector 6–B’.
I trust that you will give your most careful consideration to the above two points. However, since this question called for speedy settlement in the interest of the maintenance of peace and order in this area, as well as of the continuance of cordial relations between America and Japan, we were ready to go the greatest length in taking an attitude of conciliation and to put forward clear cut problems without delay.”
Sent to the Department and Tokyo. Repeated to Peiping and Chungking. Department please inform Navy. Admiral Glassford has mailed complete records of his activities in this case to Commander in Chief.