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

123R542/187: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

Washington, September 5, 1939—7 p.m.

274. Chefoo’s telegrams to Peiping, September 2, 2 p.m.,⁵⁹ September 2, 3 p.m., and September 2, 4 p.m. The Department does not feel that it can consider as a matter purely for local settlement the forcible searching by Japanese sailors and Japanese sponsored Chinese police of the American Consul at Chefoo. Such search, conducted for the purpose of Japanese imposed or sponsored restrictions on Chinese currency, was illegal in those circumstances and this Government can not admit the right of Japanese authorities in China to seize and search American consular officers under any circumstances.

The Department desires that the Embassy at Tokyo lodge with the Japanese Foreign Office, and the Embassy at Peiping lodge with the Japanese Embassy in that city, an emphatic protest in this matter.⁶⁰ The Department notes from Roberts’ September 2, 4 p.m., that the local Japanese naval commander refuses to punish the sentry (or sentries) who conducted the search on the ground that orders had been issued to search all persons leaving the bank. It seems to the Department that it would be appropriate if disciplinary action were to be taken by the higher Japanese authorities against the Japanese naval commander who failed in issuing his orders to make provision for the exemption from search of the American Consul and other American citizens. As has been made known on numerous occasions to the higher Japanese authorities, incidents involving mistreatment of Americans by Japanese military personnel would not, in our opinion, occur and continue to occur if appropriately stringent instructions were issued by the Japanese Government and obeyed by Japanese officials and agents. This instance brings to the fore again the entire question of the continuing mistreatment of Americans by Japanese agents and the Japanese Foreign Office in Tokyo and Embassy in Peiping should be informed that the American Government looks to the Japanese Government to take definite effective action to bring to a complete halt the continuing occurrence of such incidents.

Sent to Tokyo via Peiping. Repeated to Chungking and Chefoo.

Hull

59. Apparently not repeated to the Department.
60. Protests were lodged at Tokyo and Peiping on September 8.