793.94/4200: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 15—10:05 a.m.]
55. Your telegram No. 21, February 13, 1 p.m. On February 13th Senior Consul sent the following communication to Japanese Consul General:
“I have the honor to refer to my communication dated February 8th concerning the danger to life and property in the International Settlement occasioned by the flight of Japanese military airplanes. My colleagues desire that I supplement these representations by citing an occurrence in the American sector on February 11th.
According to information received from a reliable source, at about 9:40 a.m. on February 11th Japanese airplanes used machine guns to fire on Chinese emplacements north of Soochow Creek, such firing being at about 45 degrees from position within the American sector. From the same source it is learned that at 10:35 a.m. on February 11th two Japanese planes flew over the American sector from south to north, dropping a bomb which struck the wing on cotton mill at number 55 Markham Road killing 5 and wounding 15 Chinese and doing much material damage. As you are positively aware this mill is within the American sector. In it are billeted United States marines none of whom were hurt.
It is in view of these two occurrences that I am desired by my colleagues strongly to renew the representations made in my letter of February 8th and to express their earnest hope that the Japanese naval and military authorities will refrain from all flights of military airplanes over the International Settlement in the future.”
In view of the foregoing I am of the opinion that no further protest at this time is desirous.