Office of the Historian

740.00111/European War, 1939/135: Telegram

The Chargé in Japan (Dooman) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, September 13, 1939—3 p.m.
[Received September 13—2:05 p.m.]

474. Our 472 of September 12, 8 p.m.27 The French Counselor delivered to the Foreign Office yesterday afternoon under instructions from his Government a note identical to that delivered by the British Embassy.

At the time Baron Fain delivered the note he remarked to Kurihara28 that as set forth in the note he failed to understand the reasons for the advice given in the Japanese note of September 5. Kurihara’s reply as telegraphed to Paris by the French Embassy reads in translation as follows:

  • “1. In China in the cities where there are French Concessions there are Japanese civilians and military who are hostile in sentiment toward France and England which countries are considered to be aiding Chiang Kai SheS. It is believed that because of these hostile feelings there may be serious incidents due to the war in Europe. As a matter of fact there are Japanese who wish to use the war in Europe as an excuse to drive out the French and English troops and take over the Concessions. For these reasons the Japanese Government thinks it is preferable now to remove the causes which might bring about an incident and these causes are considered to be the presence of troops and warships.
  • 2. Kurihara also gave as secondary reasons the following:
    • The disputes which have already arisen with Germans in the Settlement.
    • The possibility of hostilities in Shanghai should the Italians enter the war.
    • The departure in 1914 of the French and Japanese troops as well as the absence of a French garrison in Shanghai.
  • 3. During the discussion which followed Kurihara developed the following thesis:

    ‘We are sure that the Soviets will not attack ns and we wish to profit thereby to bring to an end the China incident, settlement of which has been only retarded by English and French aid to the Chinese. The Japanese are therefore profoundly [Page 247] hostile toward the English (infinitely more so than they are towards the Germans). From all of which arises our wish to avoid incidents.’”

Shanghai please repeat to Chungking, Peiping.

Dooman
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Director of East Asiatic Bureau, Japanese Foreign Office.↩