393.1115/2258: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 19—11:30 a.m.]
87. Department’s 15, December 18, 5 p.m. Scheme outlined in my 33, December 13, 4 p.m., does not contemplate policing by foreign forces of area specified as a safety zone. It merely contemplates obtaining assurances from Japanese military and naval authorities that area in question would not be bombed or machine gunned or otherwise molested in any attack directed on Hankow, thus affording security to lives, property and shipping, naval and commercial, of foreigners concentrated in this area; and also here British and French have a plan for landing sailors to police points on Bund, in the event of an emergency requiring concentration of foreigners, for protection of lives and possible evacuation but this is an old plan and quite independent of scheme outlined in my 33 above referred to. Under that scheme area designated would continue to be policed by Chinese as at present. There is no doubt but that it would eventually become flooded with Chinese refugees. It is hoped that actual hostilities would pass around it. Local Chinese cooperation would be sought to free it from Chinese military activities.
Consulate General continues to advise Americans to evacuate. Preparations are under way to evacuate a further lot by boat down river on Wednesday of this week and another lot by train perhaps at the end of week. But putting down of booms in river and expected attack on Canton threaten to cut off all means of evacuation and there are bound to be a number of people left here.
Proposal outlined in my 33 contemplates action jointly or simultaneously with British, French, German, Italian and other interested powers at Tokyo to obtain if possible assurances of respect for lives and property of foreigners along Yangtze and specifically in area mentioned at Hankow. Such assurances must be participated in by the Japanese Army.