793.94/5502: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
301. Your 1007, August 25, 4 p.m., Department’s 284, August 25, 5 p.m., and your 1016, August 27, 9 a.m.
[Page 574]On August 30, Washington Herald carried article by John Goette, Peiping, under date August 29, stating in part as follows:
“Japanese military authorities today bowed to a protest from Washington, agreeing to cease further night maneuvers in the Chinese native quarter.
On Saturday,3 Colonel Gulick, after receiving a routine notification that the maneuvers would be held, was instructed by Washington to protest.”
On September 1, New York American carried article by John Goette, Peiping, under date August 31, stating in part as follows:
“Japanese troops carried night maneuvers into the Chinese native quarter before dawn today, breaking a promise given Colonel Gulick, United States Marine Corps, senior commandant of the foreign legation guard.”
The Department assumes that any action taken by Colonel Gulick was in his capacity as Senior Commandant and thus as a representative of all commandants other than the Japanese. The Department is of the opinion that it would be well, as suggested in Department’s 284, August 25, 5 p.m., that the Senior Commandant, when conferring with the Japanese Commandant on questions of this nature, be accompanied by commanding officers of the British and perhaps other Legation guards. In the view of the Department such questions are matters of common concern to the various Legations at Peiping.
The Department feels that it is desirable to take, both in the field and in Washington, special precautions to guard against its being made to appear that the American Government or American official agencies are solely or primarily responsible for action taken in situations where there is a common interest and/or responsibility; and to guard against attribution to the American Government as such of initiative in connections where it has not taken the initiative.
- August 27.↩