893.102/77: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Dooman)
157. Referring to Department’s 149, June 2, 7 p.m., and telegrams from you and the Consul General at Shanghai relating to the International Settlement at Shanghai.
You are now authorized to make the approach outlined by the Department in its telegram 149, with the following amendment in substitution for subparagraph (a), first two sentences:52
“(a) The Government of the United States is informed that Japanese press reports attribute to a spokesman of the Japanese Foreign Office a statement made on May 24, 1939, to the effect that a settlement or concession does not constitute a territory but simply an area where a foreign country or countries exercise administrative rights, so that only to that extent China’s territorial sovereignty is temporarily limited or suspended there; that in the areas under Japanese occupation Japan aims, as long as hostilities are being carried out, at expelling China’s sovereignty from the areas and placing those areas under Japan’s military control; and that as the anti-Japanese terrorism in the Settlement is a disturbance under the direct order from the Chinese Government, it is to be regarded as a part or extension of China’s military operations. The spokesman is reported to have added that Japan is therefore justified in the attempt to clean anti-Japanese elements out of the settlements.”
Unless you are informed by the Consulate General at Shanghai of definite objection, the Department is of the opinion that the Embassy should include in its approach the statement attributed to the Japanese Consul General at Shanghai (mentioned by telegram 464, June 5, 3 p.m., from Shanghai53). You are authorized, in case of objection from Shanghai, to omit this statement, and in such event you should omit also subparagraph (e) and amend suitably subparagraph (b) of the telegram 149 of June 2d.
Telegram repeated to Peiping and Chungking.