Office of the Historian

793.94/14282: Telegram

The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State

Shanghai, November 3, 1938—noon.
[Received November 3—10:25 a.m.]

The Consulate General this morning received the Japanese Embassy’s letter GO 13, dated Shanghai November 2, addressed to the [Page 197] American Ambassador transmitting, at the request of the Japanese naval authorities, the following memorandum:

“(1) During the campaign for the capture of Hankow, heavy fighting took place in the waters above Hankow up as far as the neighborhood of Changsha. Following the fall of that city, the upper Yangtze as far inland as Shasi and Changsha, as well as all of the waters adjacent thereto, has become the zone of hostilities. It being anticipated that intense fighting will take place in this zone, we desire to request that steps be taken to have all neutral vessels now in this zone take refuge as far upstream as possible.

(2) It is requested that information concerning the positions and movements of all neutral vessels now on the Yangtze above Hankow, as well as in the waters adjacent thereto be given through the Japanese senior naval officer stationed at Shanghai.

(3) While the hearty cooperation which certain powers have hitherto accorded us in our efforts to prevent the occurrence of incidents with third powers is deeply appreciated, it is earnestly hoped that those powers which have not heretofore informed us regarding their vessels will, in view of our frequent requests, give us closer cooperation in the future.

In the requests we have made in the past, information was asked concerning the positions of vessels ‘on the Yangtze above X point’. And in view of the fact that there is now no section of China over which Japanese planes can not operate, we desire to call attention to the fact that what has been desired is information of vessels in the ‘whole stretch of the river above X point’, irrespective of the distance at which such vessels are located.”

Sent to Chungking.59 Repeated to Peiping, Tokyo and Hankow. Copy to the Commander in Chief.

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Gauss
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  1. The U. S. S. Tutuila was stationed at Chungking.↩