793.94/14138: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 22—10:15 a.m.]
Following letter received at noon today:
“Japanese Embassy in China. Shanghai, October 22, 1938. [No.] GO 10. 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, Monsieur Nelson Trusler Johnson, American Ambassador to China, Chungking.”
2. The memorandum reads as follows: [Page 190]
“(1) The whole of the region traversed by the Pearl River becoming a zone of intense fighting from today as a result of the irresistible march of the Japanese forces upon Canton, the third powers whose naval vessels and merchant men are now located on the Pearl River or on the waters adjacent thereto are hereby requested to take steps to have such ships take refuge in the open or in the upper reaches of the Pearl River far removed from Canton.
(2) It is hoped that the third powers concerned will inform the Japanese naval authorities as soon as possible of the location and movements of their naval vessels and merchant men on the Pearl River and adjacent waters.
It is further requested that such ships be clearly marked so as to render them easily distinguishable by our air, naval and land forces.
(3) Upon capture of the boom which the Chinese have constructed across the Pearl River, the Japanese naval force will open through the said boom a passage necessary for our military operations. And we trust it may be understood that this passage, as in the case of the Matang boom on the Yangtze, cannot be made available to any ships other than those serving the military needs of the Japanese forces until such time as the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese fleet considers that the use of this passage by other ships will no longer interfere with our military operations.
(4) The above requests being actuated by the earnest desire of the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese fleet to avoid the occurrence of any unpleasant incident involving the third power[s], it is hoped that all the third powers concerned will give us their sincere cooperation toward the attainment of the end envisaged. 22 October, 1938.”
Sent to Chungking.51 Repeated to Peiping, Canton, Hong Kong. Copy to Admiral Yarnell.
- In telegram No. 512, October 23, the Ambassador in China reported that he did not propose to acknowledge the letter unless otherwise instructed (793.94/14148).↩