893.102S/1361
The Minister in China (Johnson) to
the Secretary of State
No. 3667
Peiping, July 3, 1935.
[Received July
27.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the
Legation’s despatch No. 3375 of February 19, 1935,12 in regard to the Shanghai
Defense Scheme and to enclose for the Department’s information copies of
the Shanghai
[Page 290]
Consul General’s
despatches to the Legation No. 8445 of April 25, No. 8710 of June
26,14 and No. 8719
of June 29, 1935,14
together with a copy of the Legation’s instruction to the Consul General
of July 3, 1935.14
The Department will note that Rear Admiral Araki, Commanding the Japanese
Naval Landing Party at Shanghai, suggested to the other Garrison
Commanders a revision of Section (d) of paragraph
2 of Part 2 of the Defense Scheme regarding the passage through the
Settlement of Chinese troops, which would incorporate the Sino-Japanese
Armistice of May 5, 1932,15 therein, and would serve the
purpose of authorizing a condition similar to that which existed in 1932
in the Hongkew district, but that the Commander of the Fourth Marines in
Shanghai and the Secretary General of the Municipal Council have replied
to the Japanese Commander to the effect that they could not agree to the
proposed amendment.
The Legation has replied to the Consul General to the effect that it
concurs in the views expressed by Colonel Beaumont and by the Secretary
General of the Municipal Council, and that it desires that he maintain a
similar attitude toward any attempt of the Japanese to obtain his
approval of any claim of prime interest which they may consider that
they possess in Hongkew or any other district of Shanghai.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure]
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Minister in China (Johnson)
No. 8445
Shanghai, April 25, 1935.
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the
Legation’s telegram of March 25, 2 p.m., regarding the Defense
Scheme of Shanghai, and to state that a paraphrase of the
Department’s telegram No. 88 of March 22, 8 p.m., was handed
personally to Colonel Beaumont, Commander of the Fourth Regiment,
United States Marines. No action has been taken by him, it is
believed because of Admiral Upham’s16 letter of March 30, 1935, addressed to the
Commander of the Japanese Naval Landing Party, of which the
following is a copy:
“Secret
30 March, 1935.
- 1.
- Referring to the letter of Rear Admiral S. Araki,
Imperial Japanese Landing Party, dated 8 February, 1935,
agreeing to the new wording of paragraph two of Part
four of the International Defense Scheme subject to two
provisions:
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- Proviso 1—is approved.
- Proviso 2—should be revised to read as
follows:
‘That nothing in the new wording shall
prejudice the right of a garrison commander to
dispatch his forces to areas external to the
perimeter that may be reached without passing
through the defense area assigned to another
garrison commander.’
- 2.
- Referring to the amplification of proviso 2, as
submitted by Commander G. Kegure in his letter of 10
February, 1935: In times of stress the passage of
foreign troops through a defense sector assigned to a
given nation would seem to defeat the very purpose
sought in assigning defense sectors to different
nationalities. Further, at such time, the intermingling
of troops of different nationalities and languages could
be provocative of serious friction. Even were a garrison
commander to deny the request for passage through his
sector, there could result resentment, to say the
least.
- 3.
- A request by one garrison commander to dispatch his
troops through the defense area of another should be
acted upon, not by the garrison commander of that area,
but by the Defense Committee, each case being considered
on its merits.”
The foregoing is in reply to the enclosure to my despatch No. 8305 of
February 12, 1935.17
It is believed, due to the seniority of the Commander of the
Japanese Naval Landing Party, that the preferable way to handle the
revision of the Defense Scheme would be for the American
Commander-in-Chief to conduct the correspondence.
I was under the impression that Colonel Beaumont would have further
communication with the Japanese Commander to bring the matter in
line with the Legation’s telegram of March 25, 2 p.m., but a few
days ago I consulted with Admiral Upham and he expressed the opinion
that his letter concluded the proposed amendment of the Defense
Scheme.
In regard to the proposal that the Consuls General of the interested
powers should form a part of the Defense Commission, at least in a
consultative capacity, I will state that any arrangement made for
effecting such a proposal would present many difficulties and should
be handled delicately. Therefore it is believed that any such
arrangement could more easily be effected if the Department could
make the arrangement through channels other than the Consuls
General. The British Consul General would probably find difficulty
in joining in such a proposal, though I would be very pleased to
take up the matter with him and the Consuls General for Japan and
France should the Legation so instruct. It is hoped, however, that
the arrangement might be made elsewhere than at Shanghai.
Respectfully yours,
