793.94/7050: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
Washington, June 15, 1935—4
p.m.
93. Your 129, June 15, 1 p.m.
- 1.
- The Department appreciates the promptness with which you communicated this information.
- 2.
- This morning the British Ambassador called on the Under Secretary and, under instruction from his Government, communicated the information contained in your paragraphs 1 and 4.
- 3.
- Subsequently this morning the Japanese Ambassador called on me to present a member of the Japanese Diet. At the conclusion of the call the Japanese Ambassador remained and stated that this morning he had received a cable from the Japanese Foreign Minister expressing a desire that the Ambassador make known that there was nothing in all of the many reports, rumors and despatches coming out of China except an effort of the Japanese to have carried out two or three more or less minor things which they had asked the Chinese to do, including the transfer or removal of Yu Hsueh-chung. The Japanese Ambassador did not mention the other two things but proceeded to say that roving groups or small armed bands of Chinese had committed depredations upon Japanese interests. I at once replied that I was very much gratified to have this information directly from the Foreign Office of the Japanese Government. I said that with such a mass of rumors and reports, it was exceedingly important that the Japanese Foreign Office was taking these steps to keep the situation clarified; that the press of this and other countries is naturally filled with more or less alarming reports and comment that is undesirable from every standpoint. I said that lack of clarification by the Japanese Government might lead to representations from the parties having treaty rights and obligations and it would therefore be helpful if the Japanese Foreign Office continued to take action toward clarifying the situation. The Ambassador then said that the Japanese Foreign Minister had indicated that he would furnish supplemental information and I replied that this was exceedingly important and that I hoped that the Ambassador would keep in touch with the Department from day to day in connection with this entire matter.
- 4.
- Please telegraph urgently what action the British Embassy at Tokyo finally takes.
- 5.
- When reporting, please express your opinion whether it appears desirable that the American Government take any action in addition to that which has already been taken as described in paragraph 3 above.
- 6.
- Repeat to Peiping with request that Minister Johnson telegraph his comment directly to Department.
Hull