893.00 Nanking/158: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 21—6:43 a.m.]
576. With reference to Nanking’s May 12, 9 p.m. to the Department,98 following has been received from Davis:
“May 13, 6 p.m. Uniformed Nationalist soldiers have fired upon passing American naval vessels from the Nanking waterfront 3 times in the last 48 hours with machine guns and rifles. There were many hits. As 2 ensigns were displayed and distance was short this must have been deliberate.
[Page 123]I suggest that you lodge very strong protest both against this and frequent similar firing between here and Shanghai.”
I am replying:
“May 21, 3 p.m. Your telegram May 13, 6 p.m. In view of the failure of either of factions claiming to be the Nationalist Government of China to accept responsibility for the Nanking incident I question advisability of continuing policy of filing protests without intention to back them up. I believe that it would be preferable to leave such matters as your telegram refers to to be dealt with by our naval authorities under existing instructions.”
- Not found in Department files.↩