393.115 Methodist Episcopal Mission/3: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 12—10:17 a.m.]
537. Our 504, October 30, 5 p.m.,5 Methodist Mission at Sungkiang. The following is text in translation of Foreign Office reply.
“No. 139, November 11, 1937. Note verbale. With reference to the memorandum of October 30 of the American Embassy in Tokyo to the effect that the property of the Methodist Episcopal Mission at Sungkiang southwest of Shanghai was bombed by Japanese planes on October 29; that the girls’ school belonging to the said church was destroyed; and that other buildings on which the American flag was clearly displayed were bombed, the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken note of the circumstances in the Embassy’s communication and has caused the authorities concerned in the incident to make an investigation. It is recognized that Sungkiang is close beside the area of Japanese military operations and that a large body of Chinese troops were there concentrated. Although the Japanese forces in acting as combatants and in carrying out their bombing of this area were of course duly heedful of foreign rights and interests they had at the time of the bombardment no data concerning the location of the property of the American church in this area. For the sake of safety, flying at a very low altitude had to be avoided in the vicinity of the area occupied by the Chinese forces. On this account the Japanese forces could not recognize the markings of the said school and other buildings. It is very sincerely regretted but it is clear that the incident was wholly due to a mistake.
Furthermore, the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Imperial Government has the honor to state that whereas it has been particularly mindful of noncombatants and humanitarian establishments it will exert its best efforts not to repeat actions of this kind and that it is ready to give adequate consideration in regard to the damage to the above mentioned school and buildings.”
Repeated to Shanghai.
- Not printed.↩