793.94/5309: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
Peiping, June 6, 1932—7
p.m.
[Received June 6—10:15 a.m.]
[Received June 6—10:15 a.m.]
623. Your 119, May 25, 5 p.m. to Tokyo. Your reference to “defense plan for Shanghai” leads me to make the following comments:
- 1.
- While in Shanghai last March I was shown copy of secret defense scheme contents of which were apparently unknown to Consul General Cunningham although it was signed by Colonel Hooker of the 4th Marines. It was elaborated in December 1931 for the purpose of defending “International Settlement and its vicinity”.
- 2.
- Defense committee was charged with responsibility of deciding when plan for combined action should come into operation but this was not to prevent independent action on the part of any garrison commander provided chairman of the defense committee was immediately informed.
- 3.
- Defense scheme described perimeter of the International Settlement and areas adjacent thereto through which line no persons “likely to threaten safety of foreign lives and property would be allowed to pass”. As far as I am aware location of this line was never communicated to the Chinese although running through areas entirely under Chinese control.
- 4.
- The situation which therefore presented itself on January 28 was that a defense scheme was in force which had been agreed upon between the commanding officers of the foreign forces, Shanghai Volunteer Corps and the Municipal Council some 3 months [subsequent to] the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and with full knowledge of threatening danger due to tension arising from activities in China of one of the nations party to the defense scheme. This party notified the defense committee on January 28 of its intention to take drastic action whereupon the committee requested the Municipal Council to declare a state of emergency. This put the defense scheme into operation [Page 66] and enabled Japan as a member of the committee to proceed to the occupation of sector assigned to her which included purely Chinese territory, and to claim that the Japanese were acting on behalf of other foreign nations as well as their own in protecting the International Settlement. In reality the cooperation of the other foreign forces under the defense scheme merely served to cover action which was exclusively suited to Japan’s interest. At no time were the interests of the other powers threatened or attacked. Further comment by mail.46
Johnson