793.94/9072
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck)
The Chinese Ambassador78 called at his own request at twelve noon today.
The Ambassador said that the situation again looked very threatening in north China. He said that all the indications are to the effect that the Japanese are determined to push matters to the point of extensive hostilities. He had no proof of this, but his Government had telegraphed him Saturday79 that the indications and their own estimates were to that effect. He wanted to know whether there was not some action which the powers might take. He thought that representations by the American and the British Governments might be effective to restrain Japan. He said that these might not need to be [Page 264] joint action but they might be parallel action. There had been another clash between Japanese and Chinese soldiers.
(Note: Just before this interview, the Secretary and Mr. Hornbeck had gone over the latest news dispatches received on the ticker, which dispatches had indicated that a serious situation was developing and had stated that after having delivered two ultimata the Japanese had made an attack upon and entered the southwest gate of Peiping before the expiration of the time set in either of the ultimata.)
The Secretary said that he was very sorry to have the news and view which the Ambassador had brought. He asked whether the Chinese envisaged general hostilities or hostilities merely in the north. The Ambassador replied that they envisaged general hostilities; they thought that the Japanese would present demands which it would be utterly impossible for the Chinese Government to meet and would follow up with major hostilities. The Secretary said that we had been urging in every way possible that peace be kept. He asked whether Mr. Hornbeck would wish to make any statement or ask any question.
Mr. Hornbeck said that he had nothing to add. He inquired whether the Ambassador had had news of the attack on the city of Peiping. The Ambassador said that he had, that he understood that the Japanese had entered the southwest gate. He repeated his expression of hope that the powers might take some action. He referred to the action which the British Government had taken on the last occasion of a crisis, in making representations to the Japanese Government, which representations he thought had been effective in restraining Japan. Mr. Hornbeck said that it seemed to him that the British and the American Governments had done as much in this case as they had done in December 1935: at that time the British had spoken through their Ambassador at Tokyo, and the Secretary of State had made here a public statement; in the present case, the British had spoken through their Ambassadors at Tokyo and at Nanking, the Secretary of State had urged peace upon the Chinese and the Japanese Ambassadors here and had made two public statements here; and this Government had spoken through its Embassies both at Tokyo and at Nanking. The Ambassador asked on what date we had taken the last mentioned of these actions. Mr. Hornbeck said that it was on Friday or Thursday of last week.80
The Secretary said that we were greatly distressed over the situation and that he hoped the Ambassador would bring him any news of any new developments at any time; we hoped very much that some way would be found by which the peace could be kept.