393.1115/4126: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:52 p.m.]
186. In a communication dated March 6, 1939 addressed by the Japanese Consul General to the Senior Consul, the following notification from the Japanese military authorities is quoted:
“The Imperial Japanese military authorities are carrying on a drive against irregulars and bandits in the northern district of Kiangsu Province, Hwaiyang and Suhai in particular. It is requested, therefore, that third power nationals now in the said districts be so warned that they may seek safety at some other places. It is further requested that properties and buildings belonging to third power nationals in the district be marked with their national colours which should be sufficiently big and vivid and stretched horizontally so as to be distinguished clearly by aeroplanes at heights, in order to avoid being bombed by mistake.”
There are a number of American citizens residing in northern Kiangsu but I am unable to communicate with them. However, on March 3 I addressed a letter to the Japanese Consul General giving the names of American citizens residing at Hwaiyin, Swain [Hwaian?], Yencheng, Taihsien and Tunghai (Haichow). [Here follows list of names.]
I have requested the Japanese authorities to ascertain the welfare of the American citizens residing at Hwaiyin and Haichow (Tunghai) which cities are reported to have been occupied by Japanese forces within the past few days.15
In my letter of March 3 to the Japanese Consul General reference was made to communications from this office dated January 7, April 13, May 14, June 2, and December 14, 1938, reporting the location of American property in the above-mentioned places.
Repeated to Peiping and Chungking, air mail copy to Tokyo.
- All Americans were safe, according to later reports received by the Consul General from the Japanese military authorities, through the Japanese Consul General at Shanghai.↩