Press Release Issued by the Department of State on January 28, 193837
Before the Japanese military forces took the city of Nanking, all American nationals who could be induced to do so, including the staff of the American Embassy, withdrew from that city. [Page 571] Eighteen American nationals, most of them missionaries, doctors, nurses, or teachers, elected to remain there.
The American Embassy premises were left in charge of Chinese custodians and watchmen and were appropriately posted with notices and identifications showing that they were American official premises. Other American properties in the City were similarly equipped with appropriate identifications of their American ownership or interest.
The Japanese military forces occupied the city on December 13, 1937.
Thereafter, on December 28, the hostilities at that point having been terminated, Mr. John M. Allison, Third Secretary of Embassy, was sent officially to Nanking to reopen the Embassy and survey the condition and circumstances of American nationals and American property in that city as well as to perform the usual services of the Embassy in safeguarding rights and interests of American nationals. Mr. Allison has been busily engaged in the faithful carrying out of his mission; he has been in close contact with those American nationals who remained in Nanking; he has made records of and reports on the condition of the Embassy, the property of Embassy personnel, the circumstances in which American nationals are living, and the condition of American properties. There have been reported to him and reported to the Department by him a considerable number of cases of disregard of American rights and interests, including, among other things, destruction of American property, and invasion of American premises. He has, among other appropriate activities, been making efforts to obtain, verify, and report the facts in regard to these matters.
Although Mr. Allison has been working under difficulties (his staff consisting of but one other officer and one clerk, in a very large city where the conditions are those of recent extreme violence), and although he has encountered many obstacles to the successful carrying on of investigations which it is his function to make, there has at no time been in any of the many reports which the Department has been receiving from China any indication that Mr. Allison has at any time been lacking in judgment or acted with indiscretion; it has received several reports indicating that he has had the confidence and the cooperation of his Japanese official associates.
Mr. Allison has lived in Japan and speaks Japanese.
Among other cases, Mr. Allison has been investigating a report that late on the night of January 24, 1938, armed Japanese soldiers forced their way into Nanking University, an American institution. This violation of American property was reported to him on the 25th, and after making a partial investigation Mr. Allison reported the matter to the Japanese Embassy, following which, on the afternoon of January 26, a Japanese consular policeman and Japanese [Page 572] gendarmes went to Nanking University to investigate the matter and proceeded from there with a Chinese woman witness to a building occupied by Japanese soldiers, some of whom were alleged to have invaded the American property. Mr. Allison and Mr. Charles Riggs, an American citizen and a member of the faculty of Nanking University, accompanied the Japanese consular policeman and gendarmes in their investigation. The facts as reported to the Department of State by Mr. Allison under date of January 27 are set forth below:
“During the course of an investigation yesterday into the irregular entry of American property, Mr. Charles Riggs, an American citizen (and a member of the faculty of Nanking University, an American institution), and myself were slapped in the face by a Japanese soldier and Mr. Riggs was further attacked and had his collar torn.
“This incident was the culmination of a series of minor incidents which had marked the efforts of this office during the past few days to bring to an end the continued irregular entry of American property. During a general discussion of the matter the evening of January 25, Mr. Fukui of the Japanese Embassy had stated to me that I was placing too much confidence in the statements of American missionaries.
“It was reported to me on the 25th, at about 11 o’clock the previous evening armed Japanese soldiers had forced their way into the agricultural implement shop of Nanking University, an American institution, and after searching one of the Chinese on the premises, had taken a Chinese woman, who returned after 2 hours and reported she had been raped three times. On the afternoon of January 25, Mr. Riggs and Dr. M. S. Bates, an American professor, interviewed the woman who was able to identify the place to which she was taken. This proved to be a former residence of Catholic priests, now occupied by Japanese soldiers. The matter was reported to the Japanese Embassy and on the afternoon of January 26 a consular policeman and gendarmes in civilian clothes came to investigate the matter and went to the place from which the woman was taken, accompanied by Mr. Riggs and myself. After questioning the people there the Japanese took the woman and two Chinese to the building where the rape was alleged to have taken place. At that point a discussion was held as to whether or not Mr. Riggs and myself should accompany the woman into the building while she attempted to identify her assailants. Because of previous experience of intimidation of Chinese who had accused Japanese of wrongdoing, Mr. Riggs did not wish the woman to be left alone. The gendarmes said we had better not go into the building but did not definitely say we could not. One of them forcibly took the woman and walked with her through the open gate of the compound, whereupon he was followed by Mr. Riggs. I followed and just inside the gate we stopped to discuss the matter. While doing so a Japanese soldier dashed up angrily and shouted in English ‘back, back’ at the same time pushing me back toward the gate. I backed up slowly but before I had time to get out of the gate he slapped me across [Page 573] the face and then turned and did the same to Mr. Riggs. The gendarmes with us tried feebly to stop the soldier, and one of them said in Japanese ‘these are Americans’ or words to that effect. We were then outside the gate on the street. As soon as the soldier heard we were Americans he became livid with rage, repeated the word ‘Americans’ and also attempted to attack Mr. Riggs who was nearest him. The gendarmes prevented him, but he succeeded in tearing the collar and some buttons off Mr. Riggs’ shirt. In the meantime the officer in command of the unit appeared and shouted at us in an offensive manner. At no time did either Mr. Riggs or myself touch a Japanese soldier nor did we speak to any except the gendarmes with us.”
Mr. Allison further reports that they then went to the Japanese Embassy
“where a full report was made to Mr. Fukui. Mr. Fukui’s attitude was that we should not have been in the soldier’s compound, even though at the time we were investigating the above-mentioned irregular entry of American property by Japanese soldiers, and that the soldier had told us to leave and was therefore seemingly within his rights in slapping us. I told Mr. Fukui there could be no excuse for the slapping and that I would expect a call from the military to explain the matter. He said he would report at once to the military authorities.”
Mr. Allison’s report concludes as follows:
“At 11 o’clock this morning, Major Hongo came to the Embassy and on behalf of the Commander of the Japanese forces expressed regret for the incident and offered apologies. He stated that a strict investigation was being made of the unit responsible and that while this unit’s departure from Nanking had been scheduled for today it was being kept here for several days to complete the investigation. I told Major Hongo I appreciated his call and that while I personally accepted his apology I could not say what view of the matter would be taken by my Government.”
Mr. Allison telegraphed the Department of State on January 28 as follows:
“I was astounded to hear over the radio this afternoon that according to the official Japanese version I had refused to leave the premises when the Japanese soldier challenged me and that I had insulted the Japanese military officer.
“As stated in my report of January 27 I was backing out of the compound when the assault took place and according to Mr. Riggs who was at one side in a position to see, I had actually been backed up against the gate and could not go further when the slapping occurred.
“With regard to the alleged insult, Major Hongo mentioned no such thing when he called to apologize yesterday morning. I inquired of Mr. Fukui this evening how I had insulted the Japanese military and he replied that it was my going into the quarters without permission. I assured him that I had no intention of insulting the military authorities and requested him so to inform them.”
- Reprinted from Department of State, Press Releases, January 29, 1938 (vol. xviii, No. 435), p. 178.↩