793.94/7052: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 15—1 p.m.]
130. 1. As envisaged in paragraph 2 of my 129, June 15, 1 p.m. the British Ambassador before making any official representations to the Japanese Government or invoking the Nine-Power Treaty today sent his Counselor of Embassy82 to speak to the Chief of the East Asia Department of the Foreign Office. Cunningham referred to the assurances already given the Ambassador on June 3rd and 8th and stated that in view of these assurances “His Majesty’s Ambassador hesitated to believe report that military had demanded and that Japanese Government had endorsed demand that Chinese Government should appoint no high official in North China without Japanese approval.”
2. The Chief of the East Asia Department replied to Cunningham in the following sense:
“Japanese Foreign Office was unaware that any demand had been made by military that no officials should be appointed in North China without approval of Japanese. He ridiculed idea that Japanese Government would endorse this but said that military in the course of conversation with Chinese authorities had pointed out that it had been presence of anti-Japanese officials that had caused recent troubles and they had indicated advisability of only appointing officials friendly to Japan.”
3. Clive proposes to see the Minister for Foreign Affairs early next week but considers it preferable to invoke the Nine-Power Treaty only in last resort and has so informed his Government. I agree with this opinion.
Repeated to Peiping.
- Wilfred Bertram Cunningham.↩