793.94/14099: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:57 p.m.]
1344. Following is text of letter received today.
“Japanese Embassy in China. Shanghai, October 15, 1938. Numbered GO 8. Your Excellency, I have the honor to inform you that I have been requested by the Japanese naval authorities to transmit to Your Excellency the enclosed memorandum.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, Your Excellency’s obedient servant, Masayuki Tani, Minister Plenipotentiary. His Excellency Mr. Nelson Trusler Johnson, American Ambassador to China, Chungking.”
2. The memorandum mentioned is as follows:
“(1) It is a matter for gratification that owing to the wholehearted and sympathetic cooperation given by third power authorities in complying [Page 186] with the request made to them by the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Fleet on June 11 and June 8 relative to the movements of neutral vessels on the Yangtze River, there has arisen no untoward question in the zone of hostilities above Wuhu such as might impair friendly relations with any third power. For the friendly consideration and understanding thus shown by the various powers, the Commander-in-Chief is deeply grateful.
(2) Although the number of mines already destroyed by the Japanese fleet units in their military operations on the Yangtze far exceeds 1,000, even greater efforts must be made to remove the danger from this source as the season of receding water of the Yangtze approaches. There is also the danger from the activities of Chinese soldiers along the bank, whose attacks are directed for the most part against hospital ships and unarmed transports. The greatest tactical difficulty our fleet has encountered in its efforts to eliminate the danger from such attacks of the enemy along the bank has been the necessity of ascertaining, before launching an attack, whether there was not some neutral vessels or buildings located in close proximity to the enemy’s position,—a necessity which has not infrequently caused us to miss the most opportune moment for the attack.
The zone of intensive fighting, which we intimated in our earlier communication has been in the Yangtze basin below Hwangshihkang, has now moved upstream to the region between Hwangshihkang and Hankow and its vicinity. Desiring to avoid the occurrence of any unpleasant and mutually regrettable incident, we beg to request the powers concerned, with due consideration to the position of the Imperial Japanese fleet, to cause their respective vessels to seek refuge upstream from Hankow and to take such measures as may be necessary to prevent the use of any buildings belonging to their respective nationalities, as well as areas immediately adjacent to such buildings, by the Chinese for military purposes.
(3) Although, with regard to the misuse of third power [property?] as above set forth by the Chinese in ways calculated to give rise to needless questions which it is the desire of the third powers and Japan alike to avoid, we requested the powers concerned on an earlier occasion to vigorously protest against such misuse by the Chinese, it has become apparent to us that the Chinese are now even more unscrupulous than before in this nefarious practice. It is therefore hoped that the powers concerned will give this matter their further consideration. It is the intention of the Imperial Japanese fleet authorities to treat as Chinese property, in accordance with the law, any property such as wharves, hulks, et cetera, whenever it appears to us manifest that the Chinese have hoisted a third power flag over a property which is not completely neutral property.
(4) Appreciation has already been expressed of the steps taken by the Standard Oil Company to comply with our request regarding measures to be taken to render neutral ships easily recognizable. We are grateful also to the British naval authorities for the step they have since taken to paint the awnings of their gunboats on the Yangtze in special colors which, according to the experience of our air units, have rendered those vessels more distinguishable than before. And to the authorities of the other powers concerned, we desire to ask that the undertaking of the Imperial Japanese fleet that the flag [Page 187] painted on the awning is not, by itself, adequate for the purpose be given their sympathetic reconsideration, and to reiterate the request that some suitable way be devised.
(5) The Chinese have constructed two additional booms, one below Shihhweiyao and another above it, thereby stopping all river traffic at those points. Although a passage necessary for military purposes will be opened through these booms as soon as they have fallen into our hands, such openings, as in the case of the Matang boom, cannot be made available for use by any vessels other than our naval vessels and military transports until such time as the Commander-in-Chief considers that the operations of the Japanese forces will no longer be hampered thereby.
(6) The Japanese authorities greatly appreciate the information which the various powers have hitherto given regarding the location and movements of their vessels on the Yangtze above Kiukiang. And now that the hostilities are progressing into the vicinity of Hankow, it is hoped that the powers which have not before given us such information in detail will do so.
It is requested that liaison with the Imperial Japanese naval authorities be maintained, as heretofore, through the naval representatives stationed at Shanghai.”
3. The letter and memorandum above quoted also formed enclosures to a letter dated October 15’ from the Japanese Consul General to the Senior Consul, and later circulated by him, reading as follows:
“Number 12. Sir and Dear Colleague, I have the honor to send you herewith enclosed a copy of a letter of Mr. M. Tani, under today’s date, addressed to his colleagues.
I should be grateful if you would be good enough to take necessary steps at your earliest convenience to circulate the same to our honorable colleagues with the request that contents of the same be brought as soon as possible to the notice of the interested parties of the respective powers.[”]
Sent to Chungking, repeated to Hankow, copy to Admiral Yarnell, by mail to Peiping and Tokyo.