793.94/4660: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 9—4:46 p.m.]
67. An Assembly document (A.[Extr.]27.1932.VII.) dated March 8 circulates a letter from Yen to the Secretary-General in which he quoted a telegram from the Chinese Legation in Washington as follows:
“The two understandings contained in your statement in the Assembly before the adoption of the resolution calling on the Chinese and Japanese Governments to enter into negotiations for a definite armistice in Shanghai were brought to the notice of Mr. Stimson, American Secretary of State. Mr. Stimson stated that they were agreeable to the American position. In fact he had telegraphed to Minister Johnson on Saturday73 authorizing the latter to participate in discussing the liquidation of the military phase of the situation, leaving the rest if necessary to a later conference at Shanghai or elsewhere. He presumed that China would place police in evacuated area to keep order.”
I have telephoned Olds who promises me to ascertain from Yen whether he had any authority from you to circulate such a message. Sato of the Japanese Delegation has already asked me if I knew anything about it to which I replied in the negative. He was particularly disturbed by the last sentence in reference to the policing of the evacuated area.
Please instruct me as to your attitude on this matter particularly in regard to the last sentence. Is it your view that the evacuated area should be immediately taken over by Chinese troops or that eventually the Chinese troops should take it over after peaceful conditions have been restored perhaps under patrol by neutral forces? It would seem that since such a telegram has been circulated by Yen it may be necessary to give the Japanese some reassurance as to the maintenance of order by neutrals for the time being in the evacuated region.
- March 5.↩