893.00/11034: Telegram
The Chargé in Japan (Neville) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 1—5:55 a.m.]
128. I was informed orally at the Foreign Office today that the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires, who is or was at Shanghai, had been instructed to approach the Nanking Government and to state that, while reserving all questions in regard to the recent damage at Changsha, the Japanese Government was prepared to initiate common action with the Nationalist Government to prevent the capture and probable looting of Hankow by the rebel forces now presumably converging on that point. The Japanese Government has ordered a force of bluejackets amounting to some 200 or so to proceed to Hankow from Shanghai to reenforce the small number of men available from the Japanese gunboats in that region. The Japanese consider the protection of Hankow of the greatest immediate importance as they have some 2,000 or more nationals there whom they have no means of [Page 158] evacuating in case the city is taken and sacked as was Changsha. The Japanese doubt seriously the ability of the 3,000 or so Nanking forces in Hankow to hold the place in case the rebel bands, amounting they believe to 15,000 to 18,000, concentrate on it, and wish preventive measures to be taken at an early date.
Copy to Peiping.