Office of the Historian

793.94/11457: Telegram

The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State

Shanghai, December 5, 1937—9 a.m.
[Received December 5—6:50 a.m.]

1088. Referring to Department’s telegram No. 607, December 3, 4 p.m. and my 1081, December 3, 5 p.m.25 I am informed by the [Page 389] intelligence officer of the Second Brigade, United States Marine Corps, that no Japanese troops aimed pistols at either American or British troops and that no Marine despatch riders were threatened with drawn pistols although both British and American trucks and at least [a few?] American despatch riders were diverted by the Japanese forces. He further states that it was necessary to talk forcefully to the Japanese guard placed in the American sector before the Colonel in command of the Fourth Marines and the aforementioned intelligence officer accompanying him were permitted through the lines to interview the Japanese Lieutenant Colonel in charge who had established himself on Nanking Road near the corner of Chekiang Road. As a result of the interview the Japanese guards in the American sector were shortly thereafter withdrawn at about 5 p.m. The withdrawal of the Japanese forces from the Cordon area to Hongkew was completed about 9 p.m., the 3d. Yesterday morning General Matsui sent officers to General Beaumont26 to apologize for the incursion into the American sector.

I understand that an American by the name of Vaughan read currently27 and a Britisher by the name of Maitland were manhandled either by Japanese soldiers or Japanese civilians; Maitland is alleged to have torn a Japanese flag from the hands of a Japanese spectator. I have requested the complete report of the Shanghai municipal police but have been informed that it will not be ready until Monday.

While the Japanese spokesman at the press conference yesterday morning is reported to have said that the troop movement was a transfer of troops and not a parade, groups of Japanese civilian men and women waving paper Japanese flags and shouting banzai lined the route of march at various places, especially on Nanking Road. Previously very few Japanese have been seen south of Soochow Creek in the Settlement.

Gauss
  1. For latter, see vol. iii, p. 754.↩
  2. Brig. Gen. John C. Beaumont, U. S. M. C, commanding U. S. forces ashore at Shanghai.↩
  3. Sentence apparently garbled at this point.↩