Office of the Historian

893.102S/1888a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss)80a

Washington, September 17, 1939—10 p.m.

351. 1. This Government has been giving careful study to the situation which has been presented by (a) the “advice” given the belligerent governments by the Japanese Government in reference to their armed forces in Japanese-occupied sections of China, a copy of which advice was communicated to this Government for “information”;81 (b) the conversations which I had on September 7 and 15 with the Japanese Ambassador here82 on this subject; (c) the suggestion made by the Japanese military authorities at Shanghai that the Shanghai Defense Plan be revised; and (d) recent developments in regard to the policing of the extra-Settlement roads at Shanghai.

2. The matters mentioned in the preceding paragraph are of substantial concern to this Government along with several others. (See statements set forth in telegrams no. 334, September 7, 9 p.m.,83 and 349, September 16, 4 p.m.84)

3. It appears to us that especially in reference to questions such as that of the extra-Settlement roads we have a choice of two alternative courses of action: first, the recording of formal protests, as we have done in the past, when impairment of the position which has obtained heretofore is threatened; or, second, to endeavor to work out with the Japanese and other principally interested governments a new arrangement whereunder the Japanese Government would agree anew to respect certain fundamental rights of this and other governments at Shanghai. In so doing, account would have to be taken of certain aspects of the present situation and it might be advisable to modify the position we have heretofore taken with regard to questions such as that of the extra-Settlement roads.

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4. We have in mind proposing to the Japanese and other principally interested governments that each government appoint a special representative to meet at Shanghai to consider the question of revision of the Shanghai Defense Plan and the question of the extra-Settlement roads. In view of the heavy burden which you and the American naval authorities are already carrying and the fact that consideration of these matters would entail considerable study and perhaps prolonged discussion, we contemplate assigning for any such mission someone from here who would of course keep in close touch with you and the Commander-in-Chief.

5. Before proceeding with an approach to the Japanese Government as indicated above, I desire to have the benefit of your comments as to the advisability of such an approach.

6. Please reply as soon as possible.

7. I am sending a similar telegram to the American Chargé at Tokyo.

8. You are authorized to inform the Commander-in-Chief orally and in strict confidence of the foregoing and to confer with him in regard thereto.

Hull
  1. Similar telegram sent to the Chargé in Japan as No. 291, September 17, 10 p.m.↩
  2. See telegram No. 458, September 5, 7 p.m., from the Chargé in Japan, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 9.↩
  3. See ibid., pp. 12 and 15.↩
  4. Same as telegram No. 277, September 7, 7 p.m., to the Chargé in Japan, vol. iii, p. 238.↩
  5. Similar to telegram No. 290, September 16, 4 p.m., to the Chargé in Japan, ibid., p. 252.↩