793.94/2271
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Japanese Ambassador came to tell me of three things.
- First: He said that Baron Shidehara had authorized him to say that Japan had withdrawn her objections to Mr. Gilbert’s participation as an observer in the meetings of the Council, although Japan remained insistent on her position that the action of the Council in admitting him was illegal.
- Second: He said that Baron Shidehara retained his fullest confidence in the friendly attitude of this government and was very grateful for our friendly cooperation with Japan in this matter, about which he had previously expressed himself.
- Third: He said that Baron Shidehara had authorized him to express to me his regret for the statements attributed to the spokesman of the Foreign Office the other day which were not authorized by Baron Shidehara.
The Ambassador then went on to say that there was some good news which he had to tell me, about events in Manchuria—not very important items, he said, but good as far as they went. He stated—
- 1st.
- That the radio station in Mukden, about the seizure of which I had protested, was to be turned back to its owners within a day or two and radio communication restored with the outside world.
- 2nd.
- That the foreign banks in Mukden were already open and doing business.
- 3rd.
- That Japanese withdrawals into the railway zone were still continuing.
- 4th.
- That the Japanese had had in Manchuria only one squadron of scouting planes and one squadron of fighting planes, and that the squadron of fighting planes was being sent back to Korea.
- 5th.
- That the operation of the railways was being restored.
I asked the Ambassador about the report that the construction of the railway from Kirin to Hueining was progressing normally. [Page 241] He said that this railway was being constructed by the Chinese and the despatch evidently referred to Chinese construction. I told him that I had received a good deal of information from many sources as to the situation in Manchuria and that I now unfortunately had very strong evidence that acts of aggression had been committed in Manchuria by men wearing the Japanese uniform and under the Japanese flag; that I had clung to my belief that the actions of these men were not authorized by the Japanese Government, in which I had faith, and I hoped that neither Baron Shidehara nor the Japanese Government would take any action which would amount to a ratification of these acts, because if they did I would be driven to the reluctant belief that the Pact of Paris had been violated. He admitted his belief that such acts had been committed, but he said he was very confident that they would not be ratified by his government.
He then asked me what was happening in Geneva. I told him that I had been informed that five nations had sent notes to China and Japan under the Pact of Paris. He said he had heard that and had no doubt that those notes had been received. He asked me whether these nations had notified me of their action and requested us to do likewise. I said that I had been informed that they would notify us, but no notification had yet been received.
Before leaving, the Ambassador handed me the annexed memorandum of the number of Japanese, British and American men-of-war now actually in service in China.