811.30 Asiatic Fleet/825: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 30—3:25 p.m.]
1055. At the request of Admiral Hart, this office on November 17 informed the Japanese Consul General here that two United States naval trucks plainly marked with American flags are engaged in carrying naval supplies and personnel between Haiphong and Chungking and that two additional trucks may be added in the near future and requested that the appropriate Japanese authorities be informed with a view to safeguarding these trucks.
I have now received a reply from the Japanese Consul General dated November 27th in which it is stated that this information has been transmitted to the Japanese military and naval authorities and that the latter have requested that the American naval authorities be informed that Japanese naval units have been ordered “to pay full attention to the American navy trucks in question”; that they cannot “give an absolute guarantee that no mistakes will ever happen although they are more than eager to exercise every possible care”; that it has been recently established that “Chinese military motor trucks were running mixed in between the motor cars of a certain third power in a certain part of Southern China”; that the Japanese naval authorities are “not in a good position to assume responsibility for damage inflicted upon American navy trucks which happen to be in close proximity to Chinese troops or their military establishments”; and that because the Japanese authorities are so anxious to avoid inflicting “any damage even by mistake upon the American trucks they would be much gratified if the American authorities would be good enough to refrain from operating their trucks in the areas under reference for the time being”. In the absence of Admiral Hart, I am forwarding a copy of the Japanese Consul General’s letter to Rear [Page 413] Admiral Glassford for consideration and possible transmission to the Commander-in-Chief.
Repeated to Peiping, Chungking; air mail to Tokyo.