793.94/9180: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 4—2:38 p.m.]
15. Embassy’s 356, August 3, 10 a.m.43 French Consul on July 28 informed Consular Corps that he called on General Kazuki on July 22, described the delicate situation of the French Concession bordering the Japanese Concession and asked him in case of open hostilities between Japanese and Chinese to refrain from passing Japanese troops through the French Concession, as otherwise Chinese troops also would have to be passed, which might cause hostilities to take place in French Concession; and that General Kazuki gave the French Consul formal assurance that in such a situation there would not be passage of Japanese troops through the French Concession. The British Consul General and the Italian Consul were in agreement with the attitude of the French Consul, but the Japanese Consul General stated he presumed that Japanese General’s assurance was based not on legal grounds but was mark of good will; French and Italian Consuls and British Consul General declined to admit that they did not have legal right to bar Japanese troops from their Concession during hostilities between Japanese and Chinese, and Japanese Consul General reserved his opinion pending instructions from his Government.
On July 29th the French Consul informed the Consular Corps that, following the outbreak of Chinese-Japanese hostilities early that morning he had sent a notice to General Kazuki prohibiting the passage of Japanese forces through the French Concession, but that the Japanese had sent through the Concession troops who by threat of arms forced their way past the French guards and crossed the bridge toward the East Station. The Japanese had a small detachment of their soldiers surrounded by the Chinese in the East Station which they could approach only by the International Bridge, the south end of which is in the French Concession; they continued to [Page 325] force their troops through until the French Consul placed himself at the bridge head with armed French troops and barred passage of Japanese troops, stating that he would fire if necessary and that he was acting on prior instructions of his Government. The Japanese gave up trying to force their way through but as soon as they occupied the third area between the bridge and the station they placed Japanese sentries at the north end of the bridge with sand bags and machine guns aimed at the French end of the bridge and for some time refused passage to the French military although other nationals were allowed to pass, stating that the French could not pass until the Japanese military were allowed to pass through the French Concession. This cut off the French forces at their East Arsenal barracks from the French Concession; the French also state the Japanese cut the telephone line between these points. After negotiations the Japanese eventually agreed to the passage of the French military but left their bridge sentinel in place.
French Consul also had difficulty in preventing Japanese soldiers from occupying South Manchuria Railway office near French end of bridge and firing on Chinese near station, thus make Chinese fire upon French Concession.
French Consul also stated that when fighting began at East Station seven French soldiers were on duty there in accordance with orders issued years ago by senior military commandant under Boxer Protocol, without whose orders they cannot be withdrawn; that they were attacked and disarmed by the Japanese soldiers and confined to their room; that they were fired upon by Japanese machine guns and one critically wounded; and that they were left for a long period without medical attendance, food or water. This was taken up by the French with the Japanese whose version of the above is not the same as that of the French. The Japanese admit that the French soldier was wounded by Japanese fire during the early hours of the fighting but contend that this was an accident due to the French room being in the Japanese line of fire against the attacking Chinese. The French soldiers were rescued by their comrades near the end of the fighting and after about 2 days confinement in the station.
The Soviet Consulate General was raided on the night of August 1st and the contents wrecked by band supposed to have been White Russians; Russian Vice Consul in charge and his staff were already in the British Concession with most important archives as the result of earlier warnings. Russian Consulate is in former Russian Concession, now third special area, which was under control of a military officer at the time of the raid but in which no police were posted. Russian Vice Consul states that he had appealed to the Japanese Consul General for protection of the premises in advance of raid and had been denied it.
[Page 326]Tangku quiet and in Japanese hands. It is reported that Japanese shelled Taku and destroyed navy yard; that Japanese forces there have been fully equipped and large quantities of war supplies landed, but little accurate information available yet due to the interrupted communications. Best information available is that 2700 additional Japanese troops have arrived in Tientsin since July 29th, 2200 by rail through Shanhaikuan and 500 by sea through Tangku.
- Not printed.↩