793.94/12138: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 19—8 a.m.]
39. Following is Central News Agency’s translation of a statement issued by the National Government last evening:
“Since the outbreak of the Lukouchiao incident in July last year52 the Chinese Government has repeatedly declared its readiness to seek an amicable settlement by any of the pacific means known to international law. But Japan regardless of all consequences embarked upon a large scale invasion of China and a wanton massacre of her people by land, naval and air forces. China was thus forced to act in self defence against violence and aggression.
During the last few months a large number of Chinese cities and towns have been illegally occupied by the Japanese Army whereas not a single Chinese soldier has set foot on Japanese territory. Lives and property have been ruthlessly destroyed by the invaders. Soldiers who had given up arms and helpless noncombatants including women and children were murdered in cold blood while untold damage was done to industrial and cultural enterprises.
[Page 36]That the action of Japan violates international law and the Anti-War Pact53 and the Nine Power Treaty has in unmistakable terms been pronounced by the nations of the world. The responsibility for disturbing international peace clearly rests with Japan and not with China.
In spite of such well known facts Japan has now declared that she respects the territory and sovereign rights of China as well as the rights and interests of foreign powers in this country. It should be observed, however, that by respect for China’s territory and sovereignty Japan means the dismembering of China through the creation by force of various unlawful organizations within Chinese territory and the making use of such organizations to usurp the sovereign rights of China. Likewise by respect for the rights and interests of foreign powers Japan means the securing of monopolistic rights through her predominant position in China.
The object of China’s armed resistance is to safeguard her national existence and to maintain the sanctity of international treaties. Though her desire for peace remains unchanged, China cannot tolerate any encroachment by any foreign country upon her sovereign rights and territorial and administrative integrity which are the essential attributes of her independent status and which all interested powers by a solemn treaty have pledged themselves to respect.
Under whatever circumstances the Chinese Government will exert its utmost to maintain the sovereign rights and territorial and administrative integrity of China. Any terms for the restoration of peace, if they do not conform to this fundamental principle, are necessarily unacceptable to China.
In the meantime all acts on [of] such unlawful organizations as may be set up in areas under Japanese military occupation will be considered null and void both internally and externally by the Chinese Government.[”]
Repeated to Peiping. Please mail to Tokyo.
- For correspondence, see ibid., pp. 128 ff.; see also Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, pp. 313–334, passim.↩
- Signed at Paris, August 27, 1928, Foreign Relations, 1928, vol. i, p. 153.↩