793.94/10819: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 24—3 p.m.]
887. Admiral Yarnell has today directed the attention of Vice Admiral Hasegawa of the Japanese Third Fleet91 to the numerous instances in which shells from Japanese guns, shrapnel from Japanese anti-aircraft fire, and bombs from Japanese planes have fallen in the sector of the International Settlement guarded by the United States Marines, with resulting loss of life and injury to non-combatants. He also pointed out that Japanese planes loaded with bombs have at times flown over that part of the Settlement. He urged and requested that steps be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Inasmuch as representations were recently made to the Chinese Government by the Embassy at Nanking on the flying of Chinese [Page 370] planes loaded with bombs over the foreign protected areas, and publicity was given to such representations by press sources which obtained their information at Nanking, it would seem most desirable that representations now be made also at Tokyo with a view to urging impartially on both sides the necessity of avoiding action endangering the safety of noncombatants in the foreign protected areas at Shanghai.
Sent to the Department. Repeated to Nanking, Luzon, Tokyo.