793.94/14715: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 16—4:55 p.m.]
300. The Foreign Office tells us that they “do not believe for a moment” the Japanese assurances that the occupation of Hainan is merely a temporary measure taken for military reasons. Chauvel, Chief of the Far Eastern Division, said that if the primary purpose of the Japanese was to shut off foreign supplies from reaching China via the southwest coast this could have been accomplished much more effectively by seizing Pakhoi and pushing on to Nanning. He believes that the occupation of Hainan is part of “Axis policy” and that the Japanese have no intention of abandoning their hold on the Island.
The French Government, however, does not contemplate taking any further step at present and while placing no reliance in the Japanese assurances is at least glad to have them on the record for possible use in the future.
Chauvel said that since the occupation of Hainan the French Government had modified somewhat its instructions regarding the passage of supplies over the Indo-China Railway and that certain material which had hitherto been held up was now going forward.17
Chauvel said that upon hearing that a United States destroyer had left Hong Kong to investigate the situation of American missionaries in Hainan, the French had proposed to the British that they should each send a vessel as well, believing it helpful to show “the three flags” there at this particular time. No reply has yet been received from the British.