394.115 Panay/128: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 17—12:30 p.m.]
653. Embassy’s 652, December 17, 7 p.m. The Senior Aide to the Navy Minister called this afternoon on the Naval Attaché and added the following comment: [Page 508]
“With regard to this morning’s conversation concerning the Reuter despatch reporting a Japanese motor boat passing close aboard the Panay and attacking it with machine gun fire:
The Japanese Naval Attaché at London has wired that this rumor is being spread there. This same story is in Washington according to Domei.
This rumor is strange and contrary to common sense. In the first place this is impossible as no naval vessels reached Nanking until 3:30 p.m. the next day 13 December.
In the second place this rumor is not sensible from a military point of view: some prearranged plan would be necessary to secure a coordinated attack by both planes and launches. Surely you realize there was no such plan at all, with reference to the Japanese Navy’s attitude and the position the Japanese Navy has taken since the beginning of the Sino-Japanese incident.
In the third place this rumor says the Panay was boarded by Japanese Armed Forces (some say army, some say navy forces). It is impossible that in such a situation troops or sailors would board a vessel during the bombing, machine gunning and sinking.
If we were to presume that Japanese forces had boarded the Panay before she sank it would mean that they had boarded it following its abandonment by the crew before the ship sank and that is impossible.”
It is Captain Kondo’s opinion that this story in the London Times written by MacDonald is a deliberate attempt to excite American public opinion.
“This news will not be printed in Japan because it will greatly excite Japanese public opinion at the same time exciting American public opinion.”
Captain Kondo also added: “I hope that on cool examination these rumors will be found to be quite the opposite and further I hope that you will not be led by these false rumors.”