Office of the Historian

793.94/9217: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State

London, August 6, 1937—8 p.m.
[Received August 6—3:50 p.m.]

531. Your 334, August 5, noon, was conveyed orally to the Foreign Office this afternoon. With reference to your feeling that Vansittart’s statement reported in my 521 August 3, 7 p.m., did not seem to answer part 2 of the British proposals of July 20, the Foreign Office official said that the proposals of August 3 superseded those of July 20, owing to the development of events and the declared Japanese objections to mediation and intervention. It was regretted that this had not been made clear during the conversation of August 3.

The British Ambassador in China has pointed out to the Foreign Office that although there were communications between the Chinese and Japanese Governments between July 17 and July 20 they dealt with the immediate situation only and that no attempt has been made by the two governments to deal with fundamentals; the absurdity was pointed out of war without negotiations first between the two parties. The British Ambassador in China has further pointed out that the Chinese have repeatedly declared their intention of fighting to a finish and that military preparations indicate they will do so if necessary. At the same time he says the Chinese are still anxious to keep an opening for negotiations and the Ambassador asks the Foreign Office if negotiations could not be suggested to both sides.

The Foreign Office feels therefore that the suggestion for direct negotiations between the Chinese and the Japanese, with the Chinese apparently entirely willing to enter such negotiations, might well be [Page 340] suggested by our two Governments. The proposals of August 3 have been telegraphed to the British Embassies in Nanking and Tokyo with request for their opinion. The Foreign Office agrees with the Department’s belief that no possibility of a move which might serve toward maintaining peace should be omitted. They will inform us at once the replies from Nanking and Tokyo have been received.

Bingham