Office of the Historian

793.94/9818: Telegram

The Chargé in Switzerland (Bigelow) to the Secretary of State

Bern, August 31, 1937—11 a.m.
[Received August 31—8:50 a.m.]

79. Reference Geneva Consulate’s telegram No. 262, August 30, 9 p.m. Legation received this morning the text of the Chinese Government’s note with unsigned, undated, covering communication worded as follows:

“In accordance with the request contained therein, the Secretary General has the honor to communicate herewith to the Advisory Committee set up by the Special Assembly convened in virtue of article 15 of the Covenant, at the request of the Chinese Government, a letter from the Director of the Permanent Office of the Chinese delegation to the League together with the statement enclosed therewith.”

League appears to attach considerable importance to receipt of the note by United States Government. In addition to apprising Consulate that it was forthcoming, a member of the Secretariat advised me by telephone last night that Legation would receive note this morning.

The note which contains approximately 1900 words is as characterized in the Consulate’s telegram. Detailed summary of about 1200 words telegraphed by New York Times correspondent. Its five concluding paragraphs which contain most significant parts are as follows: [Page 8]

“The above brief account of what Japan has done since the outbreak of the Lukouchiao incident on July 7,13 brings out the following facts most clearly, truthfully and indisputably.

  • “1. Japanese armed forces have invaded China’s territory and are extensively attacking Chinese positions by land, sea and air, in Central, as well as North China. It is thus a case of aggression pure and simple.
  • “2. China is exercising her natural right of self-defense, the failure of all other means of repelling violence having compelled her to resort to force, which is contrary to China’s wish.
  • “3. Japan’s present action in China is the continuation of her aggressive program started in Manchuria in September 1931. Japan as now occupied the Peiping–Tientsin area and is bent upon extension of her occupation to the whole of North China and domination of the [other] regions in spite of all her assurances that she has no territorial designs on this country. She is attempting to destroy all the work of reconstruction which the Chinese Nation has so steadily and assiduously undertaken during the last 10 years.
  • “4. In thus deliberately disturbing the peace of the Far East, Japan has violated the fundamental principles of the Covenant of the League of Nations. Using war as an instrument of national policy and ignoring all the pacific means for the settlement of international controversies, she has violated the Paris Peace Pact of 1927 [1928]. Acting contrary to her pledge to respect the sovereignty, the independence and the territorial and administrative integrity of China, she has violated the Nine-Power Treaty concluded at Washington in 1922.”

Full text14 mailed Queen Mary September 1.

Bigelow
  1. See vol. iii, pp. 129 ff., passim.↩
  2. For full text of Chinese communication dated August 30, see League of Nations, Official Journal, August–September 1937, p. 653.↩