793.94/4550: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 3—3:49 p.m.]
97. Consulate’s 95, March 3, 11 a.m. The Secretary General has circulated the following text of a letter dated March 2 from Sato to Boncour in reply to the latter’s communication of the same date; [Page 499]
“I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 2nd concerning the acceptance by the Japanese Government of the proposal put forward by the Council on February 29th.
The Japanese Government firmly intends to secure the cessation of hostilities at the earliest possible moment whatever may be the turn taken by the military operations. But it is quite obvious that the agreement can only be concluded in the area of hostilities itself. The Japanese Government has therefore issued appropriate instructions to the Japanese Minister at Shanghai: negotiations are being actively pursued and I have the honor to transmit to Your Excellency the information which I have lately received on this subject.”
The information referred to in the closing sentence of the letter quoted above is contained in the following text of an annex to that letter based on telegrams received by Sato from Shanghai under date of March 2nd:
“Admiral Nomura and M. Matsuoka proceeded at 9 p.m., to the Kent and informed Admiral Kelly of the general conditions on which the Japanese Government would be prepared to agree to a suspension of hostilities. Admiral Kelly immediately transmitted this information to the Chinese.
[“]Following on this action it was decided that a new meeting of the Japanese and Chinese delegates should take place tomorrow at 1 p.m., in the Kent.
“The conditions on which the Japanese Government will be prepared to agree to a cessation of hostilities and which were communicated to the Japanese Minister in China are as follows:
‘1. The Japanese forces to suspend hostilities and not to advance beyond the positions they are occupying for a certain time to be determined on the spot between the officers commanding the two armies if China gives an assurance that the Chinese troops will withdraw from Shanghai to a certain distance to be determined on the spot.
2. The representatives of the powers having interests at Shanghai to meet in round-table conference after hostilities have been suspended as above to discuss the question of the withdrawal of the two armies and specific measures for insuring tranquillity in the Shanghai area.
With regard to the withdrawal of the combatant forces Japan proposed:
- (a)
- as soon as the withdrawal of the Chinese forces (including soldiers in civilian clothing) has been officially noted the Japanese Army will withdraw to the close proximity of Shanghai and Woosung.
- (b)
- The Japanese land forces will leave Chinese territory as, and to the extent that, tranquillity is restored.
3. The violation by either of the parties of the conditions for the suspension of hostilities will entitle the other to resume hostilities as soon as the truce period has expired.’”