893.102S/1821: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 29—7:50 a.m.]
440. Japanese Consul General returned to Shanghai May 27th and according to Domei made the following statement to the press regarding the International Settlement.
“It is unreasonable not to listen to Japan when she is presenting her reasonable and legal demands in a reasonable and legal way and if the countries concerned adhere to such an attitude a dismal condition will be brought about in the International Settlement causing great annoyance to the millions of inhabitants in the Settlement. As my British, American and French colleagues are very reasonable people, I intend to continue talks with them on the question in an effort to clarify the atmosphere of the Settlement and as my colleagues know that I am a reasonable man and set much store by responsibility I believe that they are well aware that a refusal to negotiate with me would mean the loss of a safety value for the Settlement. The present system of the Settlement grants the right of participating in administrative affairs on the basis of property but such a system has no parallel in the world elsewhere. The human factor always plays its part. The Japanese demands take into consideration the human factor so that the Settlement may be made so much the more democratic. It would be unreasonable indeed for democratic countries to reject them.”
Repeated Peiping, Chungking. Air mail to Tokyo.