893.102S/1420: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 26—3:10 p.m.]
613. Referring to my telegram No. 604, November 21, 11 a.m. [4 p.m.]. Yesterday afternoon the British Consul General and I called upon the Japanese Consul General1 who confirmed that under instructions of the Japanese Government he had made representations of [to] Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council for increased Japanese participation in the policing of the Settlement and for the appointment of a Japanese Assistant Commissioner to the commanding [Page 703] officer Hongkew division and the appointment of Japanese as heads of three important police stations in the Hongkew and Yangtze Poo divisions. Japanese Consul General stated that these represented “minimum demands”. The Japanese colony and the Japanese Navy had desired greater demands. Japanese dissatisfaction with Settlement police arises out of alleged lack of adequate protection against such attacks on Japanese nationals as have occurred within recent months in the Settlement.
British Consul General outlined the history of the Settlement and the development of police administration along British lines. He pointed to the heavy Chinese and other foreign resident population and interests in the northern and eastern divisions of the Settlement, the necessity for a homogeneous police administration well coordinated under central control, the lack of experienced and trained Japanese officer personnel in the police force to take the positions indicated by Japanese Consul General, the disruption of the administration which would result from the introduction to these positions of police officers from Japan, et cetera.
I supported my British colleague and added that the preferment by [of?] Japanese officers or that introduction of such officers from Japan would destroy the morale of the force; that in the present Sino-Japanese tension, any measures to place Japanese officers in control of the police in the northern and eastern divisions would result in much disquietude amongst the Chinese of the areas and perhaps in an exodus of Chinese therefrom; and that even the fact of the Japanese demands having been made, if it became known, would serve to disturb the situation.
British Consul General stated frankly that there is considerable feeling that Japanese in command of police in the areas indicated would be under the influence or control of the Japanese authorities and navy landing force rather than the Commissioner. Japanese Consul General insisted there is no foundation for such apprehension.
We pointed to the heavy increases in Japanese personnel of police force already made and further contemplated for 1937 budget, stating that there is of course no objection on the basis of nationality to Japanese as officers in command of divisions and stations but there is at present a lack of such personnel experienced and trained in the Shanghai methods.
Japanese Consul General promised that he would study the whole subject further in the light of our views and later confer with us and with the Chairman of the Council. Repeated to Peiping. By mail to Nanking.
- Memorandum of conversation not printed.↩