Office of the Historian

793.94/10089: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

Washington, September 18, 1937—5 p.m.

215. Your 379, September 16, 7 p.m.38 The Department has received in strict confidence an intimation from a reliable source that the Japanese [Page 338] may be contemplating action soon which might seriously affect safety at Nanking.

The Department desires that you have this possibility in mind in emphasizing to the Foreign Office, as on your own initiative and as opportunity presents itself, the importance of there being avoided any Japanese bombing or other military operations at Nanking which would imperil the safety of the American Embassy and American nationals.39

Hull
  1. Vol. iii, p. 530.↩
  2. Further instructions were sent in telegram No. 217, September 19, 2 p.m., to use Shanghai’s telegram No. 728, September 19, 1 p.m. (Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 499), “as basis for immediate representations in regard to the safety of the American Embassy and American nationals at Nanking” and to inform Ambassador Grew’s interested colleagues.↩