393.11151/3383: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 12—2:05 p.m.]
350. Department’s 439 [433] July 9, 3 p.m. to Shanghai. Monocacy literally complied with Commander-in-Chief’s 0013 [0012]–133521 when at 3 p.m. on July 10th it withdrew 3 miles up river from Kiukiang taking with it foreign personnel of Standard Oil Company and Standard Oil ship, only Americans desiring to evacuate Kiukiang. Monocacy is and will remain anchored in an open stretch of Yangtze, probably safest place on river between Kiukiang [Page 405] and Yochow at the present moment. She is well beyond area where fighting might be expected. Kiukiang is in [process of] being abandoned by Chinese who are destroying part of the city before they leave. Department will have by this time received Shanghai’s 977 of July 11, 11 a.m. which gives text of last warning received from the Japanese referred to in my 347, July 11, 4 p.m. Department will note Japanese desire that American citizens be withdrawn from Hankow, Yochow and Changsha among other places named. Department will observe that literally there is no place on the river below Yochow to which Monocacy or any other ship could be moved that would be safe. Monocacy is safer where she now is than she would be any place else and in any case could not now proceed further up river because the Chinese military have laid mines in river between here and Kiukiang which now makes the river dangerous. For months we have been approaching and preparing for the situation which now faces us. Our gunboats are not interlopers in this area. We have known all along that sooner or later they must pass through these hostilities. Japanese can if they wish conduct hostilities in such a way as not to endanger gunboats which have not and are not seeking positions of danger. Every effort is being made to mark them, to notify the Japanese of their position. We here including the officers in command of the gunboats are all completely in accord with the Department’s policy of standing aloof from local hostilities and away from danger. But it must be recognized that sooner or later hostilities are certain to catch up with and pass us. Therefore the only possible course that we can follow is to keep Japanese completely and currently informed of our whereabouts trusting to their desire to do us no harm. Japanese desires to let us alone will be fortified by our insistence upon our rights as non-combatants in a situation which has not been of our choosing. I hope that Department understands that it is not possible to move gunboats or citizens out of Hankow to a safer place. I hope that upon examination [sic] that placed as we are every one will loyally make every effort to remain as far from scene of actual fighting as may be humanly possible.