793.94/9073: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 29—10:35 a.m.]
2. Some firing all day and heavy bombing by Japanese planes of Central Police Station, Nankai University and other areas. Consular Body has been trying all day to assist in bringing agreement between Japanese and Chinese for cessation of hostilities within the city; no success as yet but still some hope. As fighting may be resumed tonight, Americans in areas that may be in danger are being advised to move into official [foreign?] Concessions and assisted in doing so.
Chinese and Japanese each accuse the other of starting the firing last night, which seems to have started when Japanese occupied police station of fourth special area about 10 p.m., and became serious at 2 a.m., between small body of Japanese troops in East Station and surrounding Paoantui both of which fired across Italian Concession killing one Italian sentry and making Italian Consul’s residence uninhabitable. At the same time there was rifle, machine gun and artillery firing between Japanese barracks and Chinese troops near Pailitai, in course of which one French soldier was killed on defense line at extreme end of French Concession, and in all special areas. One shell, apparently Japanese, burst in Country Club. No Americans injured so far as I know. Small groups of Japanese have been surrounded by Paoantui all day near East Arsenal, East Station and in the fourth special area. Japanese insist that they were taken entirely unawares and were unprepared for trouble here having relied on assurances of [Page 294] General Li, Chief of Police, that Paoantui would not attack. There seems to be no doubt that most of Japanese forces had been sent toward Peiping and force here is not more than enough to hold Japanese Concession without rescuing their isolated parties. Regardless of which side started firing it appears that the Japanese did not anticipate present situation.