793.94112/9: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 31—2 p.m.]
569. Eden88 sent for me this afternoon and referring to announced intentions of the Japanese to establish a blockade along the Chinese coast with all its contingent dangers for foreign shipping said that the French had raised the question as to how the situation might be met. The British Government, Eden added, is hopeful that Great Britain, the United States and France may agree on measures to safeguard their shipping. It is the opinion of the British Government [Page 440] that it would be wise for all three powers to agree that their merchant ships may be stopped if called upon to do so by Japanese men-of-war acting in good faith and upon apparent cause but solely for the purpose of verification of their nationality and subject to strict understandings (1) that such verification is to be carried out by Japanese men-of-war only if a war vessel of the ship’s own nationality is not readily available, and (2) that we can continue to accept right of verification by the Japanese only if cases of interference with foreign shipping are infrequent and if the Japanese do not abuse the concession of the privilege.
Eden said that in the view of his Government it would be wise to make this concession now which might meet the Japanese complaints of abuse of foreign flags and aid in deterring them from declaration of war or formal blockade which would clothe them with belligerent rights. He did not suggest joint action of the three powers but said that if we could all agree on the principle that we might then make separate approaches to the Japanese Government. He said that he did not wish to insist upon this suggestion and that if you had any other he would welcome it; although the matter had been brought up by the French they had only slightly anticipated him as the development of events in the Far East was becoming so threatening for British interests that he would have been compelled to make the suggestion himself. The French have been informed of this approach to the United States.
The Foreign Secretary concluded with a warm expression of his appreciation for the cooperation which has been given his Government by the United States since the beginning of the Far Eastern crisis; that he felt this cooperation was becoming even closer and the necessity for it increasingly apparent.
- Anthony Eden, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩