893.102S/1912
The Commander in Chief, United States Asiatic Fleet (Hart), to the Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss)76
Sir: I am informed that the British and French Military organizations stationed in Shanghai are advised by Japanese authorities to evacuate their areas.
As far as the measures being instituted by the Japanese may come to affect the composition of the security forces in the International Settlement and French Concession, I am impelled to advise that any changes whatever in the present dispositions and assignments of forces involve the “International Defense Plan” and become a factor of immediate concern to my own forces. I expect to take the position that if any such changes are to be made a full revision of said plan, with U. S. representatives participating, is immediately called for and must be agreed upon before any actual physical change is consummated.
Very sincerely,
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Consul General at Shanghai in his covering despatch No. 2537, September 16; received October 17.↩