393.115/343: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Embassy in China (Allison) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:04 p.m.]
122. Tokyo’s 385, June 16, 6 p.m.—return of Americans to Nanking. The following comments with regard to the observations of the Foreign Office official, quoted in the above mentioned telegram, may be of assistance.
It is believed that the Japanese contention that incidents affecting Americans might arise in Nanking through inadequate police protection is not entirely valid. It is probably true that some Japanese nationals have suffered at the hands of unruly Chinese but since the return to Nanking of the Embassy staff not a single report has come to our attention of Chinese harming foreigners (other than Japanese) in any way. The foreign population has amounted to approximately 35 persons placed in various parts of the city. Even granting the troop withdrawals mentioned, the Nanking garrison must still contain at least 5,000 men, from which it is believed adequate police protection could be provided.
The fact that Nanking is one of the principal bases for the attack upon Hankow and that there is considerable military activity here cannot be denied, but the possibility of foreigners conveying military information to the Chinese is certainly no [not?] great. They would, [Page 369] of necessity, live inside the city walls, whereas most of the military activity takes place along the waterfront, the entrance of foreigners to which is restricted to officials and others holding special passes.
Stanley Bishop Rick, the American mentioned in Tokyo’s telegram, has been to Nanking more than once, but he is the representative of a British lumber company and was brought here at the specific request of the Japanese military who wished to purchase lumber from his company. Pickering and Shields have however expressed a desire to make a temporary visit to Nanking to investigate the condition of their companies’ property and to assess possibilities of resuming operations.
With regard to the Japanese request that the American Government not press for the return of an unlimited number of businessmen at this time, it should be pointed out that, as far as is known, there are not more than six American businessmen desirous of returning to Nanking at present.
Sent to Embassy, Hankow. Repeated to Shanghai. Shanghai please mail to Tokyo.