793.94/4011
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
This afternoon the Japanese Ambassador called at Woodley. He told me that he had received word that the Japanese were evacuating [Page 178] our Sector and that arrangements were being made so that there would be a termination of the trouble we have been having with them. I questioned the Ambassador at considerable length on this; his information was rather vague. I told him our information was very serious as to the interference which their irregulars and some of their regular marines were making with our own marines and that our marines had been very patient and had not fired a shot, but that the danger was very serious if other troops were using our Sector as a base of attack on the Chinese.
The Ambassador told me that while the Japanese destroyers were passing the Woosung Fort they were fired at and they returned the fire and he did not know what had been the result. I told him that my information was that it was the Japanese who were firing over our Settlement from their ships and were making very serious trouble for us because they sometimes hit the Settlement itself.
The Ambassador told me that the Japanese were having some difficulty with our five points; the first four points did not offer serious difficulties, he said, but the fifth point brought in the Manchurian question and the Japanese nation was opposed to having a third party take part in negotiations over Manchuria. He asked me if we insisted upon that point. I said that the President himself was extremely firm on that point; that we considered that there was no use in temporizing in stopping individual controversies and conflicts if the cause of the controversy was not ended; that we had suggested a way of ending it, which was not only in conformity with our treaties and with the resolution of December ninth [tenth] of the League (to which the Ambassador had referred), but which was also in conformity with the procedure which had worked in the past, namely the neutral observers which had been so successful at Shantung. The Ambassador pressed me very hard on whether we would not be willing to separate the first four points from the fifth. He said the house was on fire and would it not be better to put out the fire first. I said I made no objection to his putting out the fire; in fact I was insisting on it, perhaps that would clear the air but our position was clear that the whole controversy must be settled or we would have no good result. He said, “Here we were contemplating sending two divisions of land troops to China and instead of that we sent and asked you to use good offices; does not that show we were conciliatory and do you really think you ought to dictate to us as to the fifth point.” I said we had no idea of dictating but we put up a proposition which we thought should be considered altogether, but I said to him the present situation in Shanghai must be handled, whether or not you had requested good offices. I said even if you had made no such request and even if we had not suggested any five points at all, I should have been obliged to call you today on account of the serious [Page 179] information which I have received, and I want you to make sure that you convey to your Government the following points: first, that we are determined to defend the International Settlement as it is the only way by which we can save the lives of our nationals, and the British are equally determined; second, we cannot successfully defend the International Settlement if you continue to use it as a base against the Chinese Army because that will provoke the Chinese Army to attack it with their numerous forces, therefore you must absolutely stop using it as a base; third, the evidence that I get today, coming not only from my own officials but from all of the civil and military officials in the Settlement, is that your troops and your irregulars and your “ronins” are violating the neutrality in the Settlement and are using it as a base of attack against the Chinese; that absolutely must stop or otherwise we will all be involved in a great catastrophe. I insisted that he take down these points and submit them to his Government.