793.94/13881: Telegram

The Consul General at Shanghai ( Lockhart ) to the Secretary of State

1222. [For Chungking.] Your September 12, 10 a.m., and September 12, noon and 447, September 13, 4 p.m.1 The substance of paragraph 1 of the Department’s 245, September 9, 5 p.m., was orally communicated to the French and British Ambassadors today and the Department’s 309, September 9, 5 p.m.,2 was shown to both Ambassadors pursuant to Department’s 246 of September 8, 7 p.m., quoted in your September 12, 10 a.m.

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I have made oral inquiry of the French and British Ambassadors in connection with the Department’s 247, September 10, 4 p.m.,3 as to whether the newspaper report is true that they have protested to Chiang Kai Shek against “obstructive” attitude in regard to establishment of safety zone at Hankow, and specifically against erection of fortifications in vicinity of safety zone. The report is not correct. On September 9 the British Ambassador instructed his representative at Hankow to inquire whether the Chinese were willing to accept in principle the Japanese conditions for the establishment of a safety zone. This inquiry was made in agreement with the French Ambassador. Both Ambassadors confirmed this and the British Ambassador informed me today that a reply has been published from his representative stating that Chiang Kai Shek has categorically rejected the proposal and has let it be known in unmistakable terms that there is no chance whatsoever of acceptance of the Japanese conditions. The British Ambassador stated that Chiang Kai Shek took exception to the Japanese offer and stated inter alia that he was not only fighting for China but for all the democracies of the world. The British Ambassador stated that Chiang Kai Shek’s attitude toward the safety zone proposal as now revealed is a complete volte face from his attitude as the Ambassador understood it when he last saw him in Hankow.

Sent to Chungking, repeated to Hankow and Tokyo.

Lockhart
  1. See last paragraph of telegram No. 447, p. 288.
  2. See unnumbered telegram of September 9, 5 p.m., to the Consul General at Shanghai, p. 283.
  3. See unnumbered telegram of September 10, 4 p.m., to the Consul General at Shanghai, p. 285.