Office of the Historian

393.1115/601: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)

Washington, September 8, 1937—6 p.m.

222. Your 554, August 29, 1 p.m. and 626, presumably September 8,10 Tokyo’s 353, September 7, 3 p.m.,11 and Hankow’s September 7, noon.

The Department suggests that the Embassy in its consideration of the question of effecting evacuation by means of “international trains” have in mind the desirability of there being made by representatives [Page 315] of the interested powers a further approach to the Japanese Government with a view to obtaining assurances that the Japanese military would not molest such trains and would refrain from attempts to bring about interruption of operations of the railway until a reasonable time had been allowed to effect evacuation. Before the Japanese Government is again approached on this matter, however, it would seem to be desirable that you not only ascertain definitely the extent to which the Chinese Government would cooperate in supplying special trains and in other ways but also canvass the situation with a view to ascertaining the number of persons likely to avail themselves of such facilities and the earliest date within which it is expected that evacuation of such persons could be completed. You should confer in regard to this matter with your interested colleagues and also the Consul General at Hankow.

Hull
  1. Neither printed.↩
  2. See note No. 108, Asia I, September 3, from the Japanese Foreign Office, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 495.↩