Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1938, The Far East, Volume IV

393.1123 Nyhus, Phoebe/6: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State

Peiping, October 29, 1938—noon.
[Received October 29—10:28 a.m.]

646. Chungking’s 516, October 27, 8 p.m. and October 28, 9 a.m., Hankow’s 25, October 28, 10 a.m.³²

1. Map showing location of mission property at Tungpeh was furnished Japanese Embassy here with note dated March 3.

2. As the map went to the Japanese Embassy here, we are lodging with that Embassy in a note of today’s date an emphatic protest against the “bombing of property known to be, and notified to the Japanese authorities as, American property occupied by Americans and marked with an American flag which resulted in the death of 1 American and the wounding of 2 others”. Our note points out that “as a map of Tungpeh showing the location of the property was furnished the Japanese authorities over 7 months ago, there would appear to be no excuse for the bombing on the ground of lack of identification of the property”. The note requests that (a) the Japanese Embassy “cause an immediate investigation to be made through the appropriate Japanese authorities with a view to fixing the responsibility for this unfortunate occurrence and to the taking of suitable measures in respect to those Japanese responsible” and that (b) the Japanese Embassy “kindly consult with the Japanese military authorities with a view to devising means to ensure that similar incidents do not again occur”. The question of damages is reserved for later discussion.

3. Repeated to Chungking, Hankow, Shanghai, Tokyo.

Lockhart

32. Latter two telegrams not printed.