Summary of Events at Nanking Between November 21 and December 10, 1937 18
On November 21, 1937, the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs at Nanking asked the American Ambassador to inform the latter’s colleagues of the Minister’s imminent departure from Nanking and of his desire that the foreign Chiefs of Mission leave Nanking as soon as possible. The American Ambassador communicated this information to his colleagues and it was agreed by the Chiefs of Mission that they would leave as nearly together as possible for Hankow at which place the Chinese Foreign Office would be established.
On November 22, the various foreign Ambassadors and Ministers, together with some of their nationals, boarded vessels to depart for Hankow, the American Ambassador with part of his staff boarding the U. S. S. Luzon, flagship of the Yangtze Patrol of the United States Asiatic Fleet. Part of the staff of the American Embassy was left in Nanking to keep the Embassy functioning as long as possible in the light of the expected Japanese attack upon Nanking and to render assistance to Americans who, notwithstanding the urging of the Embassy, did not wish to leave on the Luzon. The U. S. S. Panay was instructed to remain at Nanking for the purpose of maintaining communications between the Embassy and other American diplomatic and consular officers and the Department of State and to take remaining Americans aboard when that action should appear necessary.
Upon departure from Nanking, the American Ambassador sent to the Japanese Ambassador at Shanghai by naval radio through the American Consulate General at Shanghai a message to the effect that, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Government had announced its removal to Hankow, the American Ambassador had likewise left Nanking for that city in order to perform his appropriate duties; that he had taken with him part of the Embassy staff, but the Embassy office at Nanking continued to function; and that the Embassy requested that “the Japanese military and civil authorities take note of the circumstances described above and should necessity arise accord full recognition to the diplomatic status of the Embassy personnel [Page 518] and premises and give them appropriate facilities and full protection”.
In the light of the situation developing, which included continuous Japanese air raids on Nanking and steady progress by Japanese forces in their march against the capital, the Code Section of the American Embassy was removed to the U. S. S. Panay on December 2. By that date, all but a few British subjects were sleeping on board a merchant hulk upriver from Nanking under the protection of British gunboats, but due to the small size of the Panay, the Americans who planned to board that ship continued to remain temporarily on shore.
On December 7 the officer in charge of the American Embassy18a reported to the Department that he felt that everything possible had been done for the Americans in Nanking. He pointed out that since the middle of August they had been urged to withdraw and until recently the water route to Shanghai was safe and open and river steamers were operating to Hankow until a few days before; that on November 22 the U. S. S. Luzon had offered every American still in Nanking opportunity to proceed on that vessel to Hankow; and that the U. S. S. Panay had offered to take aboard every remaining American and the Embassy had urged those Americans to board the Panay. He stated that American property had been posted with proclamations issued by the Defense Commander’s headquarters and the Embassy had issued identification cards and armbands to servants left in charge of American property. Ropes had been prepared for the use of the remaining Americans in case they later wished to escape from the city over the walls, and arrangements were being made with the military authorities to facilitate such departure. He also informed remaining Americans that his residence in the Embassy compound was at their disposal in case they were endangered in their own dwellings and that this might provide a refuge from looting and street fighting, although probably not from artillery fire because of the situation of the Embassy on exposed elevated ground. To one of the Americans remaining for the purposes of the so-called safety zone, he had given the use of his motor car for himself and other Americans, if needed, and to facilitate escape to the walls.
On December 7, Japanese forces marching on Nanking reached the outskirts of Tangshan, twenty miles east of Nanking. The officers in charge of the American, British and German Embassies decided that the remaining foreign Embassy staffs would go aboard various vessels on the following night, returning the succeeding day if that should be feasible (the officer in charge of the Italian Embassy was already aboard the U. S. S. Panay). In accordance with this decision, the American, British and German officials boarded ships on the night of December 8 and a temporary office of the American Embassy was [Page 519] established on the Panay. On that day, the Embassy received through the American Consulate General at Shanghai a communication, addressed by the Japanese Consul there to the Senior Consul, stating in substance that it was the earnest wish of the Japanese forces that all foreign nationals remaining in Nanking should stay away from that zone of actual fighting by evacuating from that city without delay. On the morning of December 9, the officer in charge of the American Embassy sent from the Panay a radio reply advising the Japanese Embassy of the names of the eighteen Americans planning to remain in Nanking indefinitely in connection with hospital, safety zone and newspaper work, stating that “the American Embassy requests that in case of need, the Japanese authorities give appropriate protection and facilities to these Americans” and giving notification that officers of the Embassy continued to be ashore during the daytime.
Also that morning, the officer in charge of the Embassy received a message on the Panay from an officer of the Defense Commander’s headquarters stating that the situation was serious and advising that no one go ashore. As, however, there were no other indications from the city of trouble within, three officers of the American Embassy proceeded to the Embassy buildings. Subsequently, Chinese reports indicated that Japanese units had reached the area of Molingkuan, some seventeen miles southeast of Nanking. Also on that day, Japanese troops reached a point outside the Kwangsua gate of Nanking, near the military airfield, and began exchanging machine-gun fire with Chinese troops on the city wall. Cross artillery fire between the area outside the gate and Chinese batteries on Purple Mountain was proceeding and a column of Chinese soldiers near the National Government headquarters inside the city was bombed by planes. The waterfront area at Nanking was subsequently heavily bombed and, pursuant to telegraphic instructions from the Department and at the urgent request of the Chinese military authorities, the staff of the Embassy returned to the Panay at 3 p.m., accompanied by the First Secretary of the British Embassy, who was subsequently transferred to a British gunboat.
[For account from this time forward, see despatch dated Shanghai, December 21, 1937, from the Second Secretary of Embassy in China to the Secretary of State, page 532.]