793.94 Commission/86: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 9—2 a.m.]
17. Department’s telegram of February 5, 6 p.m. Minister’s instructions referred to in second paragraph were received February 5th. On February 6th I met in cooperation with Committee and concur in general in first report issued February 6th covering events up to and including January 31st.89 I have so informed Italian Consul General, chairman of Committee.
The first report contains approximately 3,000 words and states in the preamble that it may require succinct [subsequent?] correction in detail or amplification and will be followed by reports of subsequent events. I shall not cable it in full unless instructed. However, following paragraph concerning Japanese action on the night of January 28th is quoted for the Department’s information.
“Japanese marines and armed civilians, having mobilized at naval landing force headquarters, advanced along North Szechuan Road and westward along Range Road as far as North Honan Road, dropping parties at the entrance of alleyways as they went along, and at midnight, at a given signal, all these parties advanced westward and northwards in the direction of the railway. The final party of about 100 marines, accompanied by an armored car, attempted to pass through the gate dividing the Settlement from Chinese territory at the end of Honan Road but were prevented by the Shanghai Volunteer [Page 255] Corps in whose sector gate is situated. This gate leads to the railway station.”
The statements made therein have been verified by responsible foreigners who were on the spot.
Repeated to the Legation, Nanking and Tokyo for information.
- League of Nations, Official Journal, March 1932, p. 374.↩