793.94/10642: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State 20
[Received October 14—1:20 a.m.]
471. Department’s 250, October 5, 7 p.m.21 My British colleague has sent me the following text of a note verbale which he [Page 608] yesterday addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in reply to its identic note verbale of September 29 asking details of foreign cultural establishments in China.
“His Britannic Majesty’s Embassy present their compliments to His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and have the honor to refer to the Ministry’s identic note verbale No. 30 of the 29th September last23 stating that the Imperial forces were anxious to avoid as far as possible danger to the property of nationals of third countries and requesting details of cultural establishments owned by Great Britain or by British subjects in China.
While gladly taking note of the foregoing His Majesty’s Embassy have the honor, under instructions from His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to state that His Majesty’s Government regret that they were unable to comply with this request. It is thought that the existence and locality of any institutions of the nature specified are doubtless known to the local Japanese authorities in all parts of China. His Majesty’s Government take the view that the responsibility for ensuring that such institutions are not made the subject of any attack must rest with the Japanese authorities concerned.”
- Telegram repeated as No. 322, October 18, 5 p.m., to the Ambassador in China.↩
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 509.↩
- Cf. telegram No. 435, September 30, 1 p.m., Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 508.↩