Office of the Historian

893.811/1168: Telegram

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

Washington, November 24, 1941—11 p.m.

775. Shanghai’s November 7, 10 a.m. to Chungking and Chungking’s 447, November 13, 10 a.m. to the Department,47 Whangpoo Conservancy. The Department desires that you make appropriate representations to the Foreign Office in regard to the recent action of the Japanese naval authorities at Shanghai in chartering the vessel Chienshe. You may state in substance that the American Government considers that the agreement reached in 1939 between the Whangpoo Conservancy Board and the Japanese authorities at Shanghai contains no provisions which would justify or empower the Japanese authorities to take over and use Conservancy equipment; and that this action is an impairment of the integrity of the Whangpoo Conservancy Board and in disregard of the international character and status of that body.48

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

Hull
  1. Not printed, but see footnote 42, p. 804.↩
  2. The American and British Embassies in Japan made prompt representations to the Japanese Foreign Office (893.811/1169).↩