793.94/4904
Memorandum by the Minister in China (Johnson)31
Conversation With Dr. Wellington Koo, General Wu Tieh-cheng, Mr. Quo Tai-chi, T. V. Soong
The above mentioned gentlemen called on me this evening and “asked me my impressions of the situation in Shanghai. I stated that I considered the situation to be very serious. They asked me whether there was any chance of a cessation of hostilities, and I said that I did not know about that as I had not had an opportunity yet to discover just what the possibilities might be. Mr. Quo Tai-chi asked whether the United States was going to do anything about the situation, in view of the fact that the Japanese had refused to consider the five very reasonable proposals or points which the Powers had made to the Japanese and to the Chinese. He wanted to know whether we were going to simply allow the Japanese to get away with that. He said that furthermore the Japanese had continued to use the International Settlement as a base for operations against the Chinese contrary to the protests made by the United States. I told Mr. Quo Tai-chi that so far as I knew the United States was not necessarily involved because the Japanese had refused to accept the proposals which the Powers had laid before the two countries. After all, the proposals were friendly ones and not dictated as an ultimatum. The mere fact that one party had refused to accept the proposals did not impose upon the Powers suggesting them any responsibility. They wondered whether any effort was being made to follow up the proposals of the Powers with new proposals. I said that I did not know.
Mr. Quo said that it would be impossible for the Chinese not to resist the attacks of the Japanese. It was a question of invasion of Chinese territory. The Chinese had no other recourse but to make resistance.
In response to a further query as to whether it might not be possible to bring about the cessation of hostilities and a settlement of all questions I stated that it seemed to me unlikely that such could be done. I said that I felt that the Japanese felt hurt in their pride and prestige over the developments at Shanghai and that they must make an effort to retrieve their position before they would be ready to cease hostilities. I expressed it as my opinion that the only way that I could see for a cessation of hostilities would be for the Chinese to retire out of the congested area of Chapei thus giving the Japanese no excuse for further attack there. They remarked that it would be [Page 310] impossible for the Chinese to retire without loss of face and without causing difficulties for the Government which it would bring out. I stated that it seemed to me that the 19th Route Army have achieved a victory which no event could deprive them of now that they were in a position where they might voluntarily retire from the scene undefeated to fight elsewhere under better conditions. I said that they could easily explain to the people that they were retiring out of consideration for the civilian residents of Chapei whose safety was being jeopardized by the fighting there.
They asked me whether I advised them to do this.
I stated that I had no advice to give anyone on this question, that it was a matter for decision by the responsible leaders of the Chinese. I said that I did not come to Shanghai on any mission to impose or arrange a peace, that I had merely come down for the purpose of exploring the situation and informing myself as best I might of conditions here existing in order that I might better inform my Government.
After some further discussion the conversation ended.
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Minister in his despatch of March 2, 1932; received March 26.↩