793.94/10523: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 8—3:30 p.m.]
782. Following is a statement made by Dr. Wang Chung Hui, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at a press interview today, supplied the Embassy by the Foreign Office:
“During the past few weeks there have been many heartening signs that the peace-loving nations of the world are rallying to the cause of justice and humanity with which China’s present struggle against hostile invasion is identified. A large number of resolutions expressing profound sympathy with the Chinese people have been adopted by public bodies in scattered parts of the world, and the voice of foreign statesmen and leaders in various walks of life have been raised at Geneva and elsewhere in condemnation of Japan’s acts of aggression in China, especially the mass murder of innocent civilians. To all who have given their moral and spiritual support to China in her present distress I wish to express the sincere appreciation of the Chinese Government and people, who always cherish the belief in the eventual triumph of truth and justice over brute force.
The resolution4 and the two reports5 adopted by the League of Nations Assembly on the subject of the present Sino-Japanese conflict, though falling short of the action China believes might have been taken under the principles of the League Covenant, clearly demonstrate that the entire civilized world at least spiritually stands behind China in her present fight against the aggressor. The League reports further take cognizance of the important fact that Japanese action is a breach of her treaty obligations, notably her obligations under the Nine Power Treaty and the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact, and cannot be justified. It is hoped that positive measures will soon be devised to call a halt to Japan’s wanton violations of international treaties and elementary principles of justice and humanity.
[Page 590]In regard to the present Far Eastern crisis, the State Department at Washington has come to the same conclusions as the League of Nations. In a statement issued yesterday6 the Government of the United States declared that Japan’s action is inconsistent with the principles which should govern the relationships between nations and contrary to the provisions of the Nine Power Treaty and Kellogg-Briand pact. The great speech made by President Roosevelt at Chicago a few days ago eminently deserves the whole-hearted support of all peace-loving nations. The principles he enunciated further afford a timely basis for collaboration between the League of Nations and the United States in a concerted effort to put an end to acts of international aggression. Although the President of the United States made no explicit reference to the Sino-Japanese conflict, there is no doubt that the dangers against which he warns all peaceful nations exist in the present Far Eastern situation. President Roosevelt has rightly emphasized that no nation can expect to escape through mere isolation or neutrality the dire consequences of international anarchy and instability. It is only through an acute realization of this essential fact by all peaceful nations that a concerted effort will be made to check the present dangerous drift toward the utter breakdown of international ethics and morality.
The consensus of civilized opinion both within and without the League of Nations has thus been that important instruments of peace have been broken in the Far East. The problem facing civilized society is how to restore the sanctity of international treaties and rescue the world from a reversion to a state of international anarchy. Events in the Far East since 1931, culminating in the present large scale invasion of China’s territory by Japan, constitute an object lesson to us all, namely, that mere reiteration of pious hopes and resolutions will be no restriction upon the aggressive action of Japan, dominated as she is by a military caste indifferent to the censure of public opinion. If peace is to be restored in this part of the world, the peace-loving nations must be prepared to take positive measures to defend laws and principles which form the very basis of civilization. I am in complete agreement with President Roosevelt that nations desiring to live in peace under widely-accepted standard of international morality can and must find some way to make their will prevail over the forces of lawlessness and violence”.
- See telegram No. 30, October 5, 10 p.m., from the Minister in Switzerland, ibid., p. 58.↩
- For texts see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, pp. 384 and 394.↩
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 396.↩