Office of the Historian

793.94/10254: Telegram

The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

London, September 25, 1937—3 p.m.
[Received September 25—11 a.m.]

611. My 606, September 24, 6 p.m.55 Cadogan56 informed me this morning that while Mr. Eden would not attend the meeting of the League Advisory Committee on Monday57 that the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Lord Cranborne, would [Page 35] be there and that they were very desirous that some sort of resolution deploring Japanese action in China on grounds of international morality might be quickly produced. Cadogan seemed to feel that such a resolution might have a beneficial effect on the Japanese. He also mentioned demonstrations which took place before the Japanese Embassy last night and the night before and said that as long as they did not get out of hand he could not say that he was sorry that they took place as he believed that such an indication of honest indignation on the part of certain private citizens might make an impression on the Japanese.

He said that they are keeping Berlin as well as Paris and ourselves informed of their various representations at Tokyo.

He had no further specific information, he said, but he mentioned the growing disgust and horror in this country at the indiscriminate slaughter of inoffensive civilians by the Japanese and I gather that the Foreign Office deplores that there is nothing apparently which can be done to stop it.

Johnson
  1. Vol. iii, p. 549.↩
  2. Sir Alexander M. G. Cadogan, British Deputy Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩
  3. September 27.↩