793.94/5467: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
Washington, August 6, 1932—2
p.m.
241. Your 855, July 26, 5 p.m.,1 Department’s 230, July 29, 6 p.m.,2 your 882, August 1, 6 p.m., and your 894, August 3, 5 [8] p.m.
- 1.
- The Department appreciates that, in the event of hostilities between the Chinese and the Japanese involving the Peiping area, the question of the Japanese Legation guard is one fraught with possibilities serious to the interests of the other Legations at Peiping and to their Governments. The Department hopes of course that no such contingency will arise.
- 2.
- The Department has been glad to receive your views and recommendations and desires that you continue to keep it fully informed of developments.
- 3.
- Referring specifically to your 894, August 3, 5 [8] p.m., paragraph 3, the Department desires to be informed promptly if and when the embroilment of the Peiping area and the Legation quarter in hostilities between the Chinese and the Japanese appears imminent, whereupon the Department will consider, in the light of the then existing situation, what steps it may advisedly take to the end that the Legation quarter may not be involved in military activities between the Chinese and the Japanese.
- 4.
- In the meantime, the Department suggests that thought be given to the question of seeking to bring about an arrangement under which the Japanese would agree, under a defense scheme agreed upon by the commandants of the various legation guards in consultation with their respective ministers, to confine the activities of the Japanese Legation guard to the defense of the Japanese Legation, leaving to the other legation guards the responsibility for the defense of the Legation quarter in general. The Department believes, however, that it would be premature at this time to discuss this question with Japanese officials at Peiping.
- 5.
- The Department’s records do not appear to contain any copy of a defense plan of the Legation quarter. If such plan is in existence, please forward a copy to the Department by next pouch.
Castle