793.94/5785a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
20. Referring to recent press reports that the American Government has recently made approaches to foreign governments in regard to the Manchuria situation, the Department wishes to emphasize for your information that the action taken by the Department consisted in instructing two American diplomatic missions to reply to express inquiries and requests received from officials of foreign governments, and in directing a third mission to make to an appropriate foreign official a statement along the lines made at the other two places. These communications were made informally; their substance was that our opinion and attitude are in no way changed. Stress was laid on the fact that this Government cannot undertake to give [Page 106] guidance to the League and that the League must make its own decisions.
Press reports are misleading.
Repeat to Tokyo as Dept’s No. 7, Jan. 18, 5 p.m.