793.94/8697: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 10—8 a.m.]
258. Our 257, July 9, noon.
1. A responsible official of the Foreign Office states that the following is the official version of a call by the Counselor of the Japanese Embassy here yesterday afternoon upon the Administrative Vice [Page 131] Minister for Foreign Affairs as published last evening by the semiofficial Central News Agency.
“Nanking, July 9: Calling at the Foreign Office this afternoon, Mr. S. Hidaka, Counselor of the Japanese Embassy, declared that Japan wished to reserve to herself the right of making whatever legitimate demands she may think fit in connection with the clash between Chinese and Japanese troops at Marco Polo Bridge early yesterday morning.
However, this reservation was rejected by Minister Chen Chieh, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, who pointed out to the Japanese diplomat that the Chinese side was not responsible for the incident.
The Japanese reservation was a retort to the verbal Chinese protest over the incident conveyed by an official from the Waichiaopu55 to Mr. Hidaka yesterday afternoon. In that protest China reserved to herself the right of making legitimate demands relating to the conflict afterward”.
2. Wang Chung Hui returned from Kuling yesterday afternoon by plane following a conference there with Chiang Kai-shek concerning the incident. Political Vice Minister Hsu Mo is remaining in Kuling for the time being. According to press reports, the Japanese Ambassador yesterday while at Tsingtau received instructions from Tokyo to proceed to Nanking.
3. The informant states that Hidaka will see Wang today.
4. Sent to the Department and Peiping. By mail to Shanghai, Tokyo.
- Chinese Foreign Office.↩