Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1932, The Far East, Volume III

793.94/4507: Telegram

The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, February 29, 1932—7 p.m.
[Received March 1—8:25 a.m.²⁴]

92. The important features of the Council meeting which was held at 6 o’clock today were

A. The acceptance of a “proposal” by all the members of the Council present other than China and Japan which, however, was personally endorsed by the representatives of these two countries and transmitted by them to their Governments.

B. Statement by Sir John Simon outlining a text of proposal as read by President of the Council.

[Proposal:]

1. The imminence of hostilities on the largest scale in the Shanghai region between Chinese and Japanese forces with the inevitable consequence of heavy loss of life and further embitterment of feeling makes it at this critical moment the duty of all of us to lose no opportunity of seeking means by which this deplorable armed conflict between two members of the League may be suspended and a way of peace may be found and followed.

(Information was here furnished by Simon respecting meeting at Shanghai on board British ship.)

The news that we have received from the British representative that conversations actually took place yesterday at Shanghai with a view to making arrangements for a cessation of hostilities and that the proposed arrangements have been referred to the respective Governments is welcomed by us all and the Council of the League is ready to make its contribution towards the consolidation of peaceful conditions in the way and at the time which is most useful.

2. The President has, therefore, called together his colleagues on the Council for the purpose of laying before them a proposal which might serve to this end. For its effective execution this proposal will require not only the acceptance of the Governments of China and Japan but the cooperation on the spot of the other principal powers who have special interests in the Shanghai Settlements and whose representatives are therefore readily available to make the local contribution of their friendly aid which is no less necessary than the positive and sincere agreement of the Chinese and Japanese authorities to the plan proposed.

3. This plan is as follows:

(1) A conference to be immediately set up in Shanghai composed of representatives of the Governments of China and Japan together with representatives of the other powers above referred to for the purpose of bringing about a final conclusion of fighting and the restoration of peaceful conditions in the Shanghai area.

(2) The conference would be undertaken on the basis

(a) That Japan has no political or territorial designs and no intention of establishing a Japanese settlement in Shanghai or of otherwise advancing the exclusive interests of the Japanese, and

(b) That China enters the conference on the basis that the safety and integrity of the International and French Settlements must be preserved under arrangements which will secure these areas and their residents from danger.

(3) The meeting of this conference is of course subject to the making of local arrangements for a cessation of hostilities. The Council trusts that this will very speedily be brought about. It is proposed that the military, naval and civilian authorities of the other principal powers represented in Shanghai will render all possible assistance in consolidating the arrangements.

4. To this proposal, which is aimed at the immediate reestablishment of peace in the Shanghai area, without prejudice to or qualification of any position previously taken by the League of Nations or any power in relation to Sino-Japanese affairs, the President desires, in the name of himself and of his colleagues, to invite the adherence and cooperation both of China and Japan and of the other powers referred to, whose local position enables them to make a special contribution to the common purpose of stopping armed conflict and restoring peace.

Text of statement by Sir John Simon:

The proposal placed before the Council by the President is one to which the British Government gives its fullest support. We shall instruct our representatives in Shanghai to cooperate in the fullest way with the other powers and we shall do so in our character as a member of the League of Nations resolved to support its moral authority and sustain its influence in the work of maintaining and restoring peaceful relations.

So much for the support of the British Government for whom I have the honor to speak. But there is another government whose citizens have great interests in the International Settlement and whose devotion to the cause of peace and desire to promote a just conclusion for the Sino-Japanese conflict is known to us all. I refer to the United States of America. America is not a member of the League of Nations but, none the less, I am happy to be able to announce here at meeting of the Council of the League that I have been in close consultation with the American Government and I am authorized to communicate the assurance of the United States that it is prepared to associate itself with the step which we are now taking and to instruct its representatives in the Shanghai area to cooperate with us who are members of the League of Nations in the fullest measure in carrying out the proposals which the President has put before us and which we are about to adopt.²⁵

Details of the meeting will follow.

C. Sir John Simon added to his presentation of the proposal the statement that “if there is no cessation of hostilities there cannot be a meeting of this conference”.

D. Grandi announced that the President’s proposal met with the “fullest approval” of the Italian Government and that its collaboration was definitely assured.

E. Boncour informed the Council that the French Government would accord the same approval and support. He also expressed his satisfaction at the announced collaboration of the United States.

F. With regard to Simon’s communication respecting an arrangement for a cessation of hostilities at Shanghai, Sato stated that he had not yet been authorized to inform the Council as to the details but that he would do so as soon as instructions were received. He added that the Japanese authorities had at once submitted the proposed arrangement to Tokyo.

With respect to the President’s proposal he accepted it subject to the approval of his Government and would transmit it immediately. In connection with this proposal he made the following statement:

• [“]1. In the Shanghai question the sole aim of the Japanese Government is to remove from the International Concession and also from its own nationals all imminent danger and to restore peaceful conditions.
• 2. The Japanese Government will be prepared to cooperate with other powers with a view to settling the situation at Shanghai as soon as calm is reestablished under conditions such as will guarantee the security of the Concession and the Japanese nationals. For this purpose and particularly with a view to insuring the future security of foreigners in the Shanghai region the Japanese Government will have no objection to the opening in that city of a round-table conference at which there will be represented foreign powers who have interests at Shanghai.
• 3. The Japanese Government has no intention of taking advantage of the present situation in order to realize political or territorial ambitions in that region. It has no wish to establish a Japanese concession at Shanghai or to obtain exclusive privileges there for the Japanese. It desires to maintain and strengthen the international character of Shanghai.
• 4. News has been published in the press according to which the Japanese Government is stated to be contemplating the establishment of neutral zones around some of the chief Chinese cities. This in no wise represents the intentions of the Japanese Government.”

G. Yen then read a telegram which virtually repeated the information Simon had given regarding an arrangement for the cessation of hostilities and which stated that the “Chinese authorities find the proposal reasonable and acceptable”.

With regard to the President’s proposal, he would transmit it immediately and would strongly urge its acceptance.

H. The German representative expressed his satisfaction at the possibility of the cessation of hostilities and the hope that the prospective negotiations would meet with immediate success.

I. Expressing the opinion that all members of the Council desired to contribute to the success of the efforts now under way, Madariaga stated that for some time the contribution would consist of “setting aside our special preference to see powers other than those with immediate interest on the spot being associated with these efforts”. In his opinion political problems may be local from one point of view but universal from another.

With regard to the United States, he said that while that country is unfortunately not represented on the Council “We know that the spirit and the aims of that power are so closely in line with us that the United States might indeed be amongst us and the difference would hardly be noticeable from that point of view”.

J. In a concluding declaration the President noted that no one had opposed the proposal and thanked his colleagues who had explicitly acceded to the proposition. He emphasized that the proposed conference at Shanghai was entirely dependent upon the cessation of hostilities.

Gilbert

24. Telegram in two sections.
25. For exchange of letters between Sir Eric Drummond and Mr. Wilson, see telegram No. 46, February 29, 1932, 10 p.m., Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 204.