893.102 Tientsin/312: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 26—12:11 p.m.]
125. In view of Tokyo’s 295, June 24, 6 p.m. (which refers to 294, June 24, noon, not received here) and of the fact that what was originally a local dispute may have disastrous results upon American interests here, it may possibly be of some interest to know that my information substantiates Dooman’s conclusions in his 274, June 15, 5 p.m. I consider that if the British officials here had adopted since 1937 an attitude toward the Japanese more resembling that of the French it should have been possible to postpone the present crisis to a time more propitious for dealing with it, although the fundamental issues would have remained unsettled.
[Page 200]In spite of the existence of the French Concession and the existence therein of silver deposits desired by the Japanese, relations between the French and the Japanese remain comparatively good.
Some time ago, before the present restrictions were ordered, the Japanese Consul General observed to me in the course of a conversation that the strong stand of the previous French Consul General in defense of his Concession and his nationals did not cause any personal animosity toward him on the part of the Japanese, who felt that they could always talk to him whereas they could not talk to the previous or the present British Consul General, who was characterized as “stubborn and unreasonable”.
Only concessions inadequate from the Japanese point of view were offered by the British prior to the present restrictions; and the situation was probably only made worse by the offer, after the restrictions were ordered, of concessions which if made earlier might have served to postpone the crisis, but which were not sufficient to effect their removal.
I hesitate to make what may at first sight appear to be gratuitous criticism of my British colleagues, but if we are to have any connection with discussions between the Japanese and British officials of the situation here these observations may be of some assistance.
Repeated to Chungking, Peiping, Tokyo.