793.94/11815: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 27—7:55 a.m.]
1235. Reference my No. 1234, December 27, noon. The press in reporting the opening of areas north of Soochow Creek for foreign residents and (business) states that Japanese Admiral has announced strict penalties against any person interfering with Japanese military operations in areas in the Japanese defense sector or under Japanese occupation, such activities being punishable “according to Japanese military law”. The list of prohibited activities is published and includes the following broad provisions: acts endangering or causing bodily harm to persons belonging to the Japanese Armed Forces and “all other activities designed to disturb the peace of the Japanese Armed Forces as well as to hamper their activities”.
2. At Japanese press conference this morning foreign correspondents put questions which brought out the information that the Japanese maintain that Japanese military law is applicable to extraterritorial foreigners in their relations with the Japanese military. The matter is likely to be the subject of much local agitation.
Repeated to Tokyo, Hankow, Peiping.