701.0093/234: Telegram
The First Secretary of Embassy in China (Salisbury) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 19—7:30 a.m.]
305. Embassy’s 298, May 15, 1 p.m.20
1. I have today sent the following formal note to the Japanese Counselor:
“I have the honor to refer to my letter of May 12 to Mr. Shimadzu of your Embassy who is in charge of Japanese consular police in which I stated, in my capacity as president of the Administrative Commission of the Legation quarter, that the Japanese authorities are without right to interfere with free passage through any street in the Legation quarter; to my oral representations on the morning of May 14 in regard to interference by Japanese consular police with free movement along Legation Street; to my several oral representations during the evening of May 14 in regard to interference with free movement in the Legation quarter by Japanese soldiers stationed with fixed bayonets on Legation Street, in the park along Canal Street, and at the entrance to premises of this Embassy occupied by Third Secretary Lyon and interference by Japanese consular police stationed in Legation Street; to my oral representations on the morning of May 16 in regard to interference with free movement along Legation Street by a Japanese consular police; to my oral representations on the morning of May 17 in regard to interference with free movement through the East Gate of Legation Street by Japanese consular policeman; and to my oral representations a few minutes later on the morning of July 17 in regard to the arrival at the foot of the ramp in Wall Street leading up to the American sector of the Tartar Wall of a truck crowded with Japanese soldiers and of several motocycles ridden by Japanese soldiers and to their stationing themselves there and stopping free omnibus travel along Wall Street between the American Embassy and the American sector of the Tartar Wall.
In regard to the last mentioned occurrence it is to be recalled that Mr. Horiuchi of your Embassy called on me at 10:45 on the morning of May 17 and said that a distinguished visitor accompanied by two or three Japanese consular police would like to take a walk at 11:15 a.m. that day along that part of the Tartar Wall which is under the control of the American Embassy guard. I then arranged with the American guard that the visitor accompanied by the consular police might be assured of an uninterrupted stroll along the American sector. Shortly thereafter in addition to the distinguished visitor and six consular police officers and men (instead of two) one military truck crowded with armed Japanese soldiers and several military motorcycles carrying armed Japanese soldiers arrived in Wall Street. The truck crowded with soldiers stationed itself for several minutes at [Page 326] the foot of the ramp leading up to the American sector of the Tartar Wall. The soldiers on motorcycles dismounted, drove away the rickshaw pullers at the stand near the entrance of Sankuanmiao (American Embassy property) stationed themselves between the foot of the ramp Sankuanmiao and stopped all traffic along that part of Wall Street. A Japanese in civilian clothes proceeded several hundred feet west along Wall Street to the entrance of the American Marine Quartermasters compound and after driving away the rickshaw men waiting there for the convenience of American Marines on duty in that compound stopped movement along that part of Wall Street.
I desire to bring to your attention and to request you to bring to the attention of the responsible Japanese military authorities the serious impropriety of sending an armed force into such proximity to the American sector of the Tartar Wall without warning and in contradiction of the information previously supplied by your Embassy of stationing soldiers in Wall Street between American Embassy property (Sankuanmiao) and the ramp leading to the American sector of the Tartar Wall and of interfering with free passage through this street of the Legation quarter.
In view of the circumstances I can only anticipate that the Japanese military authorities responsible will see fit to express their regrets for these abuses of a courtesy which was gladly extended to your Embassy.”
2. The visitor referred to in this note is evidently not the visitor mentioned in the telegram referred to above. It is understood that both visitors are leaving Peiping today, not to return.
3. It is recommended that representations be made at Tokyo on the basis of the above note in order that the Japanese military may show greater regard for the established rights of the Legation quarters.
4. There have recently occurred a number of instances of derogation of our rights by Japanese military. The Embassy therefore felt that a formal note was advisable in this instance. In addition to the several occasions of interference with free passage in the Legation quarter mentioned in the note a number of difficulties have been experienced recently with Japanese military at the railway station all of which have now been settled. These instances were chiefly the impeding of the movement of American marines in uniform performing official duties. On one occasion five American marine officers were forced by armed Japanese military into a line of Chinese passengers marshaled for searching.
Repeated to Tokyo and Hankow.
- Not printed.↩