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

393.115/688

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton) of a Conversation With the Counselor of the Japanese Embassy (Suma)

[Washington,] July 5, 1939.

Mr. Suma called at his request. He said that the Japanese Embassy had just received from the Japanese Foreign Office a telegraphic report covering the investigation made by Mr. Hirasawa of the Japanese Foreign Office of the question of the bombing by Japanese planes of American and other foreign properties in China. Mr. Suma said that Mr. Hirasawa’s report mentioned four general points as follows: (1) prior to bombing any particular area, the Japanese aviation authorities made a prior investigation of the location of foreign properties; (2) in the light of this investigation, Japanese aviation authorities decided the scope and the direction of the proposed aviation attack; (3) the Japanese aviation authorities endeavored to avoid American and other foreign properties even when so doing caused them inconvenience; (4) even though Chinese military objectives might be near to American and other foreign properties, the Japanese aviators stopped their bombing operations in cases where they saw that American and other foreign properties would be jeopardized thereby. Mr. Suma continued that Mr. Hirasawa’s conclusion was that it was not possible for the Japanese aviation forces to do anything further toward carrying out their desire to avoid bombing American and other foreign properties. Mr. Suma said that Mr. Hirasawa recommended that American (and presumably other foreign) properties be isolated by one kilometer and that Chinese should not be permitted to enter the area marked off; also, that Chinese should not erect military objectives within the one kilometer area.

I said to Mr. Suma that we had received reports from Hankow and from Shanghai in regard to the investigation made by Mr. Hirasawa of the Japanese Foreign Office.⁴ I said that a substantial number of the American properties scattered throughout China, especially those in the interior, were American educational institutions where Chinese students naturally went. I said also that the American Government had on many occasions pointed out to the Japanese Government that the question whether or not Chinese military objectives were located in proximity to American properties was a matter over which we had no control. I commented that in an immense country such as China where American properties constituted such a small part of the area we did not see any good reason why Japanese aviators could not avoid bombing such properties. I said that we appreciated having the information which Mr. Suma had been so good as to furnish, but that the important fact in our opinion was whether or not the bombings of American properties continued. In this connection I handed Mr. Suma the original copies of the attached four sheets⁵ in regard to bombings of American properties on June 23, 24, 25 and 29.⁶ Mr. Suma said that the Japanese Government would be glad to look into these cases and to put forth additional efforts toward avoiding the bombing of American properties in China.

M[axwell] M. H[amilton]

4. Telegrams Nos. 146, June 28, 3 p.m., and 542, June 27, 1 p.m., neither printed.
5. None printed.
6. For the Department’s summary, see telegram No. 183, July 6, 7 p.m., to the Ambassador in Japan, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 653.