393.115/119: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 17—8:30 a.m.]
34. Department’s 16, January 15, 3 p.m.35a looting of American property in China by Japanese troops.
After reading and presenting our notes to the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning I said to Hirota that in the interests of a clear understanding of the situation I desired to make some supplementary observations. Incoming American newspapers and periodicals have shown beyond doubt that the entire American nation has been profoundly stirred by the Panay incident.36 Fortunately, owing to the good sense of both of our Governments, the incident was prevented by our exchange of notes from leading to more serious developments. Nevertheless, I felt that the Minister ought to realize that the requests and expectations set forth in our note of December 14 were no idle gestures and that they meant precisely what they said. I therefore could not feel sure the Panay incident could be regarded as liquidated if the Japanese authorities failed to carry out effectively and in good faith the assurances given in the Japanese note of December 24. There had already occurred numerous unlawful interference [s] by Japanese forces with American nationals, interests and property in China since those assurances were given and I felt that this looting of American property was an especially serious aggression. If these various acts of interference and aggression should continue—and it was quite certain that they would find their way into the American press—I greatly feared that the American people would begin to question the trustworthiness of the assurances which had been given us as a direct result of the Panay incident and that public opinion in the United States would become increasingly exacerbated. Facts count more than statements. I therefore desired emphatically to impress upon the Minister the real dangers inherent in these repeated acts of interference and aggression. I reminded the Minister of the furor which had been created in Japanese military circles and in the Japanese press when a Japanese flag had been subjected to disrespect in the streets of Shanghai. [Page 567] The Japanese authorities were consequently in a favorable position to appreciate the feelings of the American Government and people arising out of the reports that American flags in Nanking, Hangchow and other places had been torn down, burned and otherwise mutilated. I spoke of the emotional devotion which our flag inspired among our people. The seriousness of such incidents was self evident.
In conclusion I once again appealed to the Minister gravely and with the utmost emphasis to take further steps which would effectively implement the assurances of the Japanese Government and would obviate the dangers to the relations between our country [countries] which must inevitably and progressively increase if the various acts of interference with American interests in China should continue. I told him in the strongest terms at my command that I was seriously worried at the outlook.
The Minister said that he could not at all understand how these undisciplined acts by Japanese troops could have occurred because the strongest possible orders had gone out to both Army and Navy to avoid acts or measures which might interfere with Japan’s good relations with the United States. He tried to pin me down as to the precise dates and I left him in no doubt that these acts had occurred subsequent to the Japanese assurances and are still continuing. He authorized me to tell you in reply to my insistence that he would bring my representations to the “highest quarter”.
I have thought it best to leave to the Department any announcements to the American press that these representations have been made.
Repeated to Peiping for Johnson.