703.94/4030: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:18 p.m.]
Minister for Foreign Affairs informed me last night that having heard of the despatch from Japan of a division of Japanese troops to Shanghai the Chinese had no other recourse but to send reenforcements to their hard-pressed forces at Shanghai. He wished us to understand that this was not meant to be in violation of their acceptance of the proposals of the note in reference to cessation of troop movements but merely to meet a new phase already instituted by the [Page 230] Japanese. He expressed urgently the hope that we would not permit Japanese to use Settlement as a screen for landing of reenforcements. He is very much worried about situation. He said Chinese aeroplanes had been instructed to keep away from Settlement.