Office of the Historian

761.93 Manchuria/141: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, August 2, 1938—6 p.m.
[Received August 2—10:55 a.m.]

508. Our 506, July 31, 5 p.m.

1.
The clash which occurred on the Soviet border reportedly resulting in the shooting down of five Soviet airplanes by Japanese forces [Page 463] has, we understand, been fully reported to the American press by local correspondents. In response to inquiry by us, the Foreign Office and the War Office both stated that all information received in official Japanese quarters has been made available to: the press.
2.
The latest incident along with developments at Changkufeng is not being sensationally played up in the Japanese press. This attitude of restraint on the part of the press probably reflects the strong hope expressed to us by officials that the situation can be prevented from becoming aggravated.
Grew