793.94/3428: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:55 p.m.]
2. Department’s 3, January 5, 6 p.m.15 The following is the text of the Chinese note referred to, addressed by the Chinese delegation at Paris to the President of the Council under date of December 26th, not 25th:
“Under the instructions of my Government, I have the honor to transmit to Your Excellency the following telegraphic message dated December 25th from the Acting President of the Executive Yuan:
‘With a view to avoiding the aggravation of the situation in Manchuria, both China and Japan have accepted the obligations under the various resolutions of the Council of the League of Nations. On our part we have been sincerely carrying out these obligations. During the Council meeting of December 10 our delegate had, in connection with the second paragraph of the resolution of that date, made it clear among other things that China cannot tolerate the invasion and occupation of her territory by the troops of any foreign country.
According to reports we have recently received, however, the situation is daily becoming more critical. The facts are briefly as follows. On 21st instant under the pretext of bandit suppression the Japanese troops occupied Fakumen. Two days later Tienchwangtai was occupied by Japanese infantry and cavalry with armored trains on the Chinese-owned Kowpangtze-Yingkow Railway. At the same time Japanese planes also bombarded and machine-gunned Panshan. For the purpose of attacking Chinchow the Japanese are calling the regular Chinese army bandits whereas as a matter of fact they are hiring bandits in large number and providing them with guns to create disorders. More Japanese reenforcements are being sent to Shanhaikwan, Chinwangtao and other places.
It is beyond doubt that Japan, is intentionally disregarding her obligations under second paragraph of Council’s resolution on December 10th and that she [Page 715] is also ignoring Your Excellency’s statement in regard to the same paragraph to the effect that it is indispensable and urgent to abstain from any initiative which may lead to further fighting and from all other action likely to aggravate the situation. The present situation in Chinchow and other places is becoming worse and more critical than before. I therefore have the honor to make this urgent appeal to Your Excellency for the immediate adoption of effective measures to deal with this situation with a view to giving effect to the resolution of December 10.’”
The text of this note was transmitted to the Secretary-General of the League under date of December 29 by Berthelot on behalf of Briand with the following covering letter:
“I have the honor to forward to you herewith for the information of the members of the Council a letter from the Chinese delegation handed to me by Mr. Hoo on the 28th instant.
I informed Mr. Hoo that the French Government and to my knowledge several other Governments also had already taken steps at Tokyo to draw the Japanese Government’s attention to its engagement under the resolution of December 10th that it would refrain from any initiative which might aggravate the situation.”
The foregoing are given in full as it is felt that summarization or excerpts therefrom might be misleading.
- Not printed.↩