793.94/10191: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 22—9:45 a.m.]
405. Lieutenant Layton,44 Assistant Naval Attaché, has submitted to me the following memorandum dated today: [Page 544]
“Memorandum for Ambassador. The Senior Aide to the Navy Minister, Captain Kondo, called at 11:40 a.m. today and stated as follows:
The Japanese Navy Department has received a report from Admiral Hasegawa to the effect that reliable information indicates the Chinese are planning to bomb foreign Embassies and Legations in Nanking using a plane (or planes) painted and marked to resemble Japanese air craft in order to instigate foreign nations’ participation in the present conflict.
When asked if such planes (being foreign models) would not be readily recognized as non-Japanese types he said some Chinese planes closely resembled Japanese models. Comment: This is open to question.”
Repeated to Shanghai for Nanking.
- Lt. Edwin Thomas Layton.↩