793.94/10777: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 20—2:55 p.m.]
840. Shanghai’s 797, October 2, 10 a.m.,90 and 865, October 18, 5 p.m. October 6 I sent the Foreign Office memorandum stating inter alia “it is requested that instructions be issued to the Chinese Air Force to exercise great care when engaged in bombing operations in the Yangtzepoo area since it contains much valuable property belonging to American citizens and firms”. October 19 the Foreign Office replied inter alia that the matter had been referred to the appropriate authorities and then observed “the Chinese Air Force exhausts all possible efforts to avoid damage to property belonging to the people and firms of the United States and other friendly powers; nevertheless, the Minister believes that the American Embassy is fully aware that the Japanese use the Yangtzepoo area as a base of [Page 369] military invasion, with the result that accidental losses are occasioned to third parties through the necessity imposed on the Chinese Air Force to take defensive measures”. In a note to the Foreign Office October 20 I acknowledged receipt of this communication and said “it is with regret that I convey to Your Excellency a new report which seems to show that the Chinese Air Force is not exercising the caution which the memorandum asserts is being displayed” and then quoted substance of paragraph 1 of Shanghai’s October 18, 5 p.m. The note continued “in reference to the general subject of operations by Chinese planes over Shanghai, I regret to state, also, that Chinese military planes not infrequently pass over those areas in which the citizens of the United States and of other countries not concerned in the present hostilities have gathered with the especial object of avoiding danger. This action by the planes in question not only brings peril to the residents by attracting anti-aircraft shells which explode over or fall into the areas concerned, but also by incurring the risk of a repetition of the disasters already caused through mistaken or unintended release of Chinese airplane bombs in those areas. On behalf of the American citizens affected, I have strongly urged that Chinese military planes avoid passing over the areas in question. The great need for this precaution is on the authority of the following statistics received from an official source in Shanghai:” the statistics given in Shanghai’s 867, October 18, 7 p.m., were then set down.
Sent to the Department, repeated to Peiping, Shanghai, Tokyo.
- Not printed.↩