793.94112/21: Telegram
The Commander in Chief of the United States Asiatic Fleet ( Yarnell ) to the Chief of Naval Operations ( Leahy )91
[Received September 2—4:33 p.m.]
0002. Following letter received from Japanese Admiral this date. Also copy of proclamation referred to.
“My Dear Admiral Yarnell: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note dated August 28 inquiring about the proclamation issued by me under the date of August 25.
For your information, I enclose herewith a copy of the text of the proclamation, which primarily does not apply to the vessels of third powers. In view, however, of the fact that there have been cases of Chinese ships flying foreign flags in order to evade the application of the declaration, ships under my command have been faced with the necessity of inspecting suspected ships in order to identify their nationality. Deprecating any misunderstanding in connection with the ships of a third power, I earnestly desire that advance notice of ships entering into or exiting from the prescribed area, stating their movement, names and their captains as well as matters concerning the capital invested in them, will be given either to me or to the appropriate officer under my command stationed on the spot.
I should like to add that our Government have already communicated with the governments of interested powers in this matter.
I have the honor to renew to Your Excellency my highest consideration.
With kindest regards, I am very sincerely K. Hasegawa, Vice Admiral IJN92 commanding Third Fleet.”
[Page 444]Proclamation. I hereby announce that, commencing from 6 p.m. of August 25th, 1937, Chinese shipping, both Government owned and private, will be prohibited by the naval forces under my command from entering into or exiting from the Chinese territorial waters extending from 32.4 degrees north latitude and 121.44 degrees east longitude to 23.14 degrees north latitude and 116.48 degrees east longitude.
This prohibition will be applicable to all Chinese shipping but will not prevent vessels of third powers as well as those of Japan from entering into or exiting from the prescribed zone.
August 25th, 1937. Vice Admiral Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Third Fleet, on board the Idzumo.