393.1163M56/249
The American Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Matsuoka)
Excellency: I have the honor to apprise Your Excellency that I have received a report through the American Embassy at Chungking that on August 19, 1940, the Lewis Memorial Church of the Methodist Episcopal Mission in that city, an American institution, was completely destroyed by fire resulting from incendiary bombs during the course of a series of raids upon Chungking by Japanese airplanes.
In Note No. 30/European 2, dated November 29, 1937, from the Imperial Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,28 the Embassy was informed in part that “with a view to cooperating with the Japanese forces in their desire not to cause damage to the property of the nationals of third countries, especially to eleemosynary institutions, during attacks on military establishments and facilities”, the Japanese Government desired to obtain maps showing the location of hospitals, churches, schools and other eleemosynary establishments in China belonging to the United States.
While reserving all appropriate rights in the premises, with a view to assisting in the protection of American lives and property, the Embassy transmitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 30, 1938, a sketch map indicating by hand markings American owned and leased property in Chungking and its environs. Moreover, on February 8, 1939, a similar map was transmitted to the Japanese Consulate General at Hankow.
In this connection I have the honor to refer to my notes no. 1174 of January 23, 1939, no. 1307 of June 16, 1939, no. 1328 of July 14, 1939, [Page 696] no. 1583 of July 13, 1940, no. 1600, of August 6, 1940, and no. 1608 of August 19, 1940,29 bringing to the attention of Your Excellency’s Government eight separate and distinct occasions, prior to the present bombing, when the property of this mission at Chungking was subjected to air attacks by Japanese forces. It is difficult to perceive, under the circumstances recited above—since the location of the property in question was unescapably known to the Japanese aviators—how the inference can be avoided that at least some of the attacks upon this American property have been deliberate. I must add in this connection, lest it be thought that this case of repeated bombing of the same American property in China is unique, that the instances of multiple Japanese bombings of the same American properties in China have been numerous.
I have the honor to enter a most emphatic protest on behalf of my Government against this renewed attack upon the property of the Methodist Episcopal Mission at Chungking; to request that Your Excellency be good enough to furnish me a prompt report upon this latest flagrant case; to reserve all rights on behalf of the American citizens and property involved; and to point out once more, as I have on many previous occasions to Your Excellency’s predecessors, the grave risk to the lives of American citizens in Chungking and in other parts of China entailed by these ruthless Japanese air bombings, the damage of which to the property of American nationals alone is sufficient evidence of their indiscriminate character.
I must again emphasize the inevitable and damaging effect upon the good relations between our two countries of a continuation and repetition of such attacks upon the property of citizens of a friendly Government, which in the present case have reached almost unbelievable proportions.
I avail myself [etc.]