Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1938, The Far East, Volume III

793.94/13873: Telegram

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

Chungking, September 13, 1938—4 p.m.
[Received September 13—11:06 a.m.]

447. Department’s 247, September 10, 4 p.m.,⁹⁸ paragraph 1 has been referred to Shanghai for verification. In regard to paragraphs 2 and 3, the Department will have noted from my 446, September 11, noon, that I feel impelled to the conclusion that in the circumstances existing at Hankow it would be useless and inappropriate to ask the Chinese to conduct their military activities in a way to avoid endangering American life and property. The Chinese are on the defensive in the area in question and, short of abandoning it to Japanese occupation, there would seem to be no way for them to comply with this request if made. I repeated Department’s 245, September 9, 5 p.m. to Hankow and asked the Consul General to ascertain and submit to the Department the views of the Military Attaché and Commander of Yangtze Patrol regarding its subject matter (including of course the last sentence).⁹⁹

Repeated to Hankow, Shanghai. Shanghai repeat to Tokyo.

Johnson

98. See unnumbered telegram of September 10, 4 p.m., to the Consul General at Shanghai, p. 285.
99. The views of the Military Attaché and Commander of Yangtze Patrol were in accord with those expressed by the Ambassador in his telegram No. 446, September 11.