893.00/7960: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 20—6:03 a.m.]
627. 1. The Legation has received from the consul general at Shanghai a despatch relating to proposed defensive measures in case of a state of emergency arising there, should the Shanghai region be invaded by the Cantonese forces.
2. Informal meetings have been held by Council officials, consular representatives, and senior naval officers. Council represents that such a situation would require landing force of from four thousand to five thousand men and states that having brought its views to the attention of the interested consular representatives it considers that it would be absolved from responsibility should the provision made be insufficient for the protection of foreign life and property.
2. [sic] Gauss46 reports that he and Commander Armstrong, senior American naval officer, are in agreement on certain points of which the following is a brief summary: First, in the event of such an emergency, a larger landing force will be required than on former similar occasions. Second, size of landing force estimated by Council is larger than will be likely to be required unless situation develops beyond that experienced at other ports. Third, Nationalist Party and Kuomintang sympathizers and agitators, apparently contemplate that the peak of their efforts against the “imperialistic powers” shall be reached at Shanghai and they have therefore recently eased the situation in Hankow. Fourth, the possibilities of the situation suggest the desirability of plans for increasing naval landing forces with a minimum of delay should occasion require; foreign naval forces now in port are entirely adequate for the present situation, and it might be unwise, at this time, to make any ostentatious display of extraordinary defense preparations by the concentration in Shanghai of a large foreign naval force. Fifth, “in landing United States naval forces it should definitely be understood that they are landed for the protection of foreign life and property and that they will not, except under orders of the higher American authorities, be used to oppose any organized occupation of the International Settlement by the armed forces of the Nationalist Government”. Sixth, inclusion of foreign occupied areas to west and north of Settlement boundaries within the defense area is as fully justified and necessary now as in 1924 and 1925 in view of the large foreign population.
[Page 663]3. The Legation is in agreement with Gauss and Armstrong on all the foregoing points although it does not consider that the defense of the extra Settlement areas referred to would be justified at the imminent risk of collision with organized Cantonese forces unless, first, defense of these areas is a military necessity incidental to defense of the Settlements proper, or, second, their occupation should prove necessary for the protection of foreign residents, on which principle forces would be landed at any point irrespective of its administrative or territorial status.
4. With regard, however, to fifth point, I am of the firm opinion that the integrity of the International and French Settlements must be maintained under any circumstances even should it mean collision with organized Cantonese forces. Otherwise, occupation of other settlements, denunciation of extraterritoriality and widespread and systematic disregard of foreign lives and interests would in all probability be only a matter of time. Should a landing force be required, I regard it as essential that its main objectives and the scope of its responsibility should be definitely understood in advance. Such a force should know which it is there for, the purpose of protecting both the integrity of the Settlements and foreign life and property or only the latter.
5. I request frank expression of the Department’s views on this matter, as well as upon the other points which have been raised, in order that I may be in a position to discuss the subject with my colleagues if and when occasion demands.
6. Meanwhile, I am communicating by radio with the commander in chief, suggesting continued consideration of the possible necessity of augmenting, without delay, the present American landing force available at Shanghai in the event of the state of emergency anticipated by council.
- Clarence E. Gauss, temporarily consul general at Shanghai, in the absence of Consul General Cunningham.↩