793.94/9473: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of
State
Tokyo, August 18, 1937—4
p.m.
[Received August 18—10:30 a.m.]
277. Embassy’s 273, August 16, 7 p.m. Following is Naval Attaché’s
report of statement made to him today by Senior Aide to Navy
Minister.
- “1. When asked as to plan for stoppage of munitions,
Senior Aide stated that it was his opinion that the
Japanese Government may evolve some such plan. It might
be [expected?] to make this point clear to Washington as
the Embassy telegram was to the effect that the Japanese
Government was considering the plan. However, I believe
that the Government is actually considering a plan. The
British Naval Attaché mentioned the matter to me
yesterday, having obtained intimation of it from the
same source.
- 2. Naval landing force reenforcements were landed at
Shanghai yesterday and this morning (less than 500).
Army reenforcements had not been sent ‘up to the present
moment’. Inferentially army reenforcements are due soon.
All operations—air, land and sea—up to now have been by
naval forces under the command of Vice Admiral
Hasegawa.
- 3. Air operations yesterday and today were directed at
(a) Chinese heavy artillery
positions in and around Shanghai; (b) at the numerous Chinese air bases in the
Yangtze Valley area. The naval landing force has no
artillery. The majority of their recent casualties have
been from Chinese heavy artillery. They are making
efforts to bomb them out. They are apparently surprised
at the continued Chinese air raids as they thought they
had cleaned out about all the Chinese air bases within
striking distance. Japanese claim to have destroyed 53
Chinese planes with the possibility of 20 more. Eight
Japanese planes have been lost.
- 4. Air operations Monday34 and Tuesday were similar in
nature to those of Sunday, that is as to types of planes
and their origins. It is believed that heavy navy
bombers have been flown from Kyushu and Formosan air
bases, and seaplane bombers from seaplane tenders off
the China coast and from cruisers off Woosung.
Participation of Aircraft from carriers is suspected but
cannot as yet be verified.
- 5. Situation in Tsingtao is becoming threatening. The
customs guards which the Japanese claim are central
forces in disguise are closing in on Tsingtao. Two
Japanese cruisers, Tatsuta and
Tenryu, are there under
command of Rear Admiral Shimomura, formerly Naval
Attaché at Washington in, 1930–32. So far no landing
force units have been put ashore from them in order not
to aggravate the situation.
- 6. When asked what the War Minister meant by the
statements quoted in press report today ‘abandonment of
policy of non-expansion adopted at outbreak of North
China incident’ and ‘unanimous support for Government’s
future drastic policy towards China’, it was explained
as follows: ‘In order to avoid a prolonged struggle and
repeat the calamity now in Spain, a solution to the
situation must, in the shortest possible time, be
reached by every means possible.’ Asked if this meant
the striking of a telling blow, the answer was in the
affirmative.”
