Office of the Historian

793.003/899: Telegram

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

Shanghai, June 27, 1938—4 p.m.
[Received June 28—7 a.m.]

914. Reference my 902, June 25, noon, regarding extraterritorial rights of third party nationals in China. Press reports June 26th state that Japanese Embassy spokesman described as “incorrect” statement previously ascribed to him. He is now said to have stated only that the Japanese forces do not recognize the extra [territoria]lity status of third party nationals in such cases as that involving searching of an American citizen by a Japanese shao [sentry?] in Nanking June 15th. (Thomson case.)

Repeated to Hankow and Peiping.

Lockhart