893.48/1420: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
Shanghai, January 26, 1938—11
a.m.
[Received January 26—8:50 a.m.]
[Received January 26—8:50 a.m.]
138. Following from Tokyo:
“January 25, 8 p.m. For relay to Nanking:
‘Your 33, January 22, 4 p.m.
- 1.
- The Foreign Office informed us today that Okazaki, who is now temporarily in Tokyo, reported that an arrangement had been made by which the International Committee could bring into the safety zone whatever supplies it might have owned prior to the Japanese occupation of Nanking and is authorized to purchase supplies up to Mexican dollars 100,000 granted to the Committee by the Nanking municipality.
- 2.
- The Foreign Office also stated that it has instructed the Japanese Consul General at Shanghai to submit a full report on the situation at Nanking and to extend in the meantime full cooperation to the International Committee with respect to caring for Chinese refugees.
- 3.
- The impression given us at the Foreign Office is that the military authorities at Nanking who have not “recognized” the International Committee feel that conditions at Nanking do not warrant this Committee assuming continued responsibilities of the care of the Chinese refugees and are anxious to have this work turned over to the local Chinese Autonomous Committee’.
Please repeat to Hankow”.
Gauss