793.94/4902: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
Shanghai, March 28, 1932—8
p.m.
[Received March 28—11:15 a.m.]
[Received March 28—11:15 a.m.]
My March 26, 1 p.m.
- 1.
- Meeting between Chinese-Japanese continued at 10 a.m. and commenced at once discussion of “draft B” (text of which is being telegraphed separately33) which represents progress made in discussions of draft of March 19 during previous meetings. Subcommittee of military concurrently discussed question of Chinese and Japanese positions.
- 2.
- There was considerable argument once more about question of plain-clothes gunmen, Chinese denying that they had employed such as a part of their Army. The Japanese finally took under advisement suggestion that words “and every form of” be inserted before words “hostile acts”.
- 3.
- The Japanese objected strenuously to Chinese reservation to article 2 maintaining that arrangement now under negotiations was necessarily temporary to be followed by a later arrangement. Chinese agree to take under consideration suggestion made by Lampson that the words “upon the reestablishment of normal conditions in the areas dealt with [in] that agreement” be inserted at the end of first sentence of article 2.
- 4.
- When discussion reached annex 2 which was next taken up at the suggestion of Uyeda, Chinese insisted that there must be stated a time limit for the withdrawal of the Japanese forces to area of Settlement and extra-Settlement roads adjacent to Hongkew pointing out that Japanese refusal to agree to a time within which the Japanese troops would be withdrawn as before incident of January 28th introduces a new element into the discussion. Article 3 of draft undertakes in the first sentence on the part of the Japanese to withdraw their forces into the Settlement and extra-Settlement roads. By the second sentence certain physical aspects of the situation are mentioned which make it necessary to keep Japanese forces temporarily outside these areas. But now Japanese say that they must be held there pending restoration of normal conditions. Quo agreed that this is new matter insofar as draft of March 19th is concerned and a matter that is not ascertainable by any one. Matter was laid aside for the present at the suggestion of Quo.
- 5.
- Discussion continued with reservations on both sides for further discussion tomorrow. Military subcommittee will recess until Wednesday morning.34
- 6.
- It is becoming increasingly clear that Japanese do not intend to be pinned down to any time program as to withdrawal. In the military subcommittee they have been pushed back to a point where the area east of the railway has become the area which they concentrate upon. They state they will withdraw from this area “when conditions permit”. Chinese are naturally unwilling to accept this and are beginning to threaten to refer question to the League and to friendly participating powers.
Johnson