793.94/8665: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 22—11 a.m.]
300. At the request of the Japanese Consul General, the Chairman of the Joint Commission established by the 1932 agreement27 for the cessation of hostilities at Shanghai has called a meeting of the Commission for tomorrow afternoon.
The Japanese Consul General informed me this morning that he intends at this meeting to bring forward a rumor or report that the Chinese have fortified Woosung; also that they have greatly increased the number of the Peace Preservation Corps and supplied them with tanks and other equipment beyond ordinary rifles, pistols and machine guns and that they have dug trenches and constructed concrete dugouts in the evacuated area.
Upon being questioned by me as to whether the Japanese have made any representations to the Chinese authorities, the Japanese Consul General admitted that last November his predecessor saw the Mayor concerning the reported fortifying of Woosung and asked for facilities for an inspection. The Mayor is stated to have indicated his inability to give the permission desired.
The Japanese Consul General says that the Japanese Navy has been pressing him for action to bring the situation before the Joint Commission and he feels that whatever may be Chinese attitude the representations should be made to the Commission and stand of record. He will probably ask for an investigation by the Joint Commission or its representatives including neutral observers. He declares that the Chinese members of the Commission, if they attend the meeting, will likely withhold consent to an inspection.
I will report [course?] of the meeting at which I take no active part and reserve the American opinion if necessary.
Telegraphed to the Department and Peiping, to Nanking by mail.
- Signed at Shanghai, May 5, 1982, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 217.↩