793.94/10323: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 29—5:43 p.m.]
1363. In the course of a conversation today with the Chief of the Far Eastern Division at the Foreign Office he said that the French Government had recently protested against the bombing of an area and foreign territory where there were French hospitals and against the bombing of a hospital under the direction of a French religious order at a point 60 miles south of Tientsin; no reply had been received from the Japanese Government to either protest.
He said that the French Government had received “informal assurances” from the Japanese Government that Hainan would not be occupied by the Japanese.
There have been two minor incidents affecting French shipping arising out of the Japanese blockade of the coast: a liner, the Chenonceaux, was hailed by a small Japanese naval vessel but refused [Page 558] to permit anyone to go on board; the Japanese admiral later explained to the French admiral that there had been a mistake. A smaller French vessel, the Paul Doumer, was stopped by a Japanese naval vessel and boarded; the Japanese admiral later explained that a mistake had occurred.
The French Ambassador at Tokyo has just reported that the first engagement has taken place between Japanese troops and troops of the Chinese Communist army in Northern China and that a Japanese detachment had been defeated. My informant said that he thought the fact that the Japanese Government was handing out this information was of some interest, as perhaps indicating that they intended to attach importance to the activities of this Chinese Communist army.
I asked wheher there was any indication that the Soviet Government might take a more active interest in the course of events in China. Hoppenot said no, that while the Soviet Ambassador to China had recently left by plane for Moscow, there was no indication of any change in the attitude of the Soviet Government; the Soviets were furnishing some munitions to China but difficulties of transportation made it impossible for them to do very much in this way.
He remarked that Italy was selling important quantities of munitions to the Chinese Government which were being transported on Italian vessels. He also said that Kung had informed French officials that when in Berlin recently the German Government had urged him to purchase munitions there.
Copies to London, Rome, Berlin.