394.115 Panay/83: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, December
15, 1937—4 p.m.
[Received December 15—8:20 a.m.]
[Received December 15—8:20 a.m.]
638. At 2:15 o’clock today Captain Kondo, senior aide to the Navy Minister, called on the Naval Attaché to express the following with regard to the bombing and sinking of the U. S. S. Panay on December 12.
“Our Navy, regretting the unfortunate accident, has taken the following steps for the time being.
- 1.
- Strict and definite instructions have been issued to commanding officers in the China area to the effect that recurrence of a fault of the same kind should be absolutely avoided in the areas where English and American war vessels or steamers are present, even if at the risk of missing the chance of attacking Chinese troops.
- 2.
- The commanding officer of the naval air corps in the Shanghai vicinity as the officer who was responsible for this incident, was transferred today, 15 December, to a certain post in home waters.
That the commanding officer should take the full responsibility when any one of his officers should commit a fault is the tradition of the Japanese Navy.”
Repeated to Shanghai for communication to the commander in chief and relay to Hankow.
Grew