893.00/9016: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (MacMurray)
236. The Japanese Ambassador called this morning and read the following statement:
“In the recent disturbance of South China, particularly on the occasion of the unfortunate incidents which transpired in Hankow, Nanking and elsewhere, serious injuries have been inflicted upon the lives and property of the Japanese residents in these localities, and in some cases violences prejudicial to Japan’s honor have been committed, owing to the insufficiency of means of protection provided by the Chinese authorities. In the imminence, therefore, of a military situation being developed in North China, a recurrence of such unfortunate incidents is feared. In fact, at the present moment when the Chinese civil strife appears to be extended toward Tsinan, the safety of the lives and property of Japanese residents there is [Page 124] greatly apprehended. In the town of Tsinan there are 2,000 Japanese people and, it being situated in the interior far away from the coast, it is absolutely impossible to afford them protection by means of naval forces like in the case of port cities along the Yangtse. In these circumstances, the Japanese Government has been forced to adopt the measure of protecting the lives and property of Japanese residents there by land forces in order to prevent the repetition of unfortunate events. Considerable time, however, is required to send troops there for such a purpose, and, in view of the constantly changing military situation, it has been decided to despatch immediately about 2,000 troops from Manchuria to Tsingtao as a precaution. The despatch of such troops is nothing but an emergency measure forced upon the Japanese Government in self defense and in order to insure the safety of Japanese residents. No unfriendly design whatever is intended toward China and its people, nor is it intended to interfere with or impair the military operation of either the Southern or Northern armies of China. In adopting this measure of despatching troops in self defense, the Japanese Government has no intention whatever of keeping them there long. Immediately the fear of menace against the safety of the Japanese people in that locality is removed, the whole contingent of these troops will be withdrawn without delay.”