Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1937, The Far East, Volume IV

793.94/9340: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, August 13, 1937—7 p.m.
[Received August 13—1:15 p.m.]

422. My 415, August 13, 8 a.m.,⁷⁵ second paragraph, and 418, August 13, 3 p.m. The following is translation made by Embassy of notification received from the Foreign Office date August 13.

“I have the honor to inform you that in view of present compelling circumstances the Chinese Government has closed the Yangtze River below Chinkiang to navigation. All navigation on that section of the river is therefore suspended. I have the honor to indite this formal note for your information and to request that instructions be issued to American residents uniformally [sic] to take note”.⁷⁶

Nanking station vessel has been informed.

Repeated to Peiping, Shanghai, Hankow.

Johnson

75. Vol. iii, p. 392.
76. On August 27 the Chinese Foreign Office replied to the American Embassy’s inquiry of August 25 that the Yangtze would remain closed for the present to all shipping (811.30 Asiatic Fleet/336).