Office of the Historian

393.1115/2081: Telegram

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

Tokyo, December 3, 1937—5 p.m.
[Received December 3—7:10 a.m.]

592. Hankow’s December 2, 11 a.m.,23 safe conduct for party leaving Hankow by train December 10.

1.
The Embassy took this matter up informally with the Foreign Office this morning and left a memorandum. The Foreign Office has replied this afternoon that the naval authorities state that the railway from Hankow to Canton is cut in several places due to bridges having [Page 388] been bombed and that the route is impracticable; that they were therefore unable to accede to our request. They suggested, however, that the party be evacuated via the Yangtze route to Shanghai and said that request for safe conduct via this route would be given consideration.
2.
I am informed by my British colleague that the British Chargé and a party left Hankow today on the railway for Canton and Hong Kong to proceed as best they could and without guarantees from the Japanese authorities other than their expressed intention to “do what they could” to protect the party from injury.

Repeated to Shanghai. Shanghai repeat to Hankow.

Grew
  1. Not printed.↩