893.7961/34: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 27—2:25 p.m.]
830. According to Foreign Office official, Ambassador Craigie was instructed last night to consult with Ambassador Grew and the French Ambassador as to the advisability of approaching the Japanese Government for a definition of its intentions in regard to foreign civilian aircraft in China. If the Japanese Government attempts to stand by a statement alleged to have been made by the Government spokesman at Shanghai on Thursday, regarding the zone of military operations as affecting the flight of civilian aircraft over China, the British apparently intend to inform the Japanese that they will not admit any such arbitrary extension of the zone of military operations to cover the entire flying radius of foreign aircraft.
The American protest against the attack on August 24 on a commercial plane by the Japanese was widely featured in today’s papers.