Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1939, The Far East; The Near East and Africa, Volume IV

893.102 Tientsin/249: Telegram

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

Tokyo, June 13, 1939—7 p.m.
[Received June 14—10:35 a.m.]

271. Our 267, June 10, 3 p.m., Tientsin situation.

1. The British Ambassador sent me this morning by a member of his staff a copy of telegraphic instructions from London to the British Ambassador to China⁶⁵ authorizing the setting up of an advisory committee to the British municipal authorities to examine evidence to determine whether there is a prima facie case against the four alleged Chinese terrorists sufficiently strong to warrant their delivery to the local court, the advisory committee to consist of one Britisher, one Japanese and one neutral. The British Embassy was quite uncertain whether London desired that the Japanese be informed of this procedure by the British Consul General at Tientsin or by the British Ambassador here, and therefore did not intend to make any approach to the Japanese Government pending receipt of further instructions. I then informed Craigie that I would be prepared personally and on my own responsibility to make known without delay the terms of the proposed procedure to the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. Craigie replied that he would be grateful if I would do so.

2. I have just seen Sawada who pointed out that the Japanese authorities in North China, who have already received full authorization to act in their discretion, could not take cognizance of the proposed new British procedure until it had been officially communicated to them by the British authorities; that the Japanese Government could not at this late date intervene; but that the information made available would be passed on to the military authorities in North China “for their information”.

3. I have passed on these observations to the British Ambassador who is I understand telephoning Clark Kerr to urge that he instruct the British Consul General at Tientsin to make a new approach to the Japanese on the basis of the last instructions from London.

4. I am taking no [“]part in the matter”.

Repeated to Peiping, Chungking, Shanghai.

Dooman

65. Sir Archibald J. K. Clark Kerr.