893.102S/1898: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 26—10:32 a.m.]
865. Your 368, September 25, 4 p.m. British Ambassador tells me he recommended parallel representations at Tokyo but has received no answer from London. The suggestion seems to have been overlooked in the concern regarding British military support for the police in the western area. See paragraph 8 of my No. 852, September 23, 4 p.m. British Ambassador stated he had been urged by British members of the Municipal Council to obtain more satisfactory military support for the police, it being suggested that the American Marines would or should support the British in the British sector. He has now just received a message from London saying that “if the American forces are authorized to join ours in patrolling and in taking combined action in resistance to encroachment of the Japanese or their puppets, the offer should be accepted.”
- 2.
- I commented that while the defense plan permits one sector commander to call on the senior commandant or on another sector commander for reinforcements when needed, such an independent arrangement as combined American-British action in the British sector is not contemplated in the plan and would likely have unfavorable Japanese reaction; I added that disposition of American forces however is not within my jurisdiction.
- 3.
- Reverting to the question of parallel representations at Tokyo, I outlined the views I have expressed to the Department in my telegrams and stated that in my opinion representations are desirable and parallel representations at least to the point of outlining the situation and asking for respect for our interests.
- 4.
- Having in mind our note of last May to Japan89 and the Secretary’s recent conversations with the Japanese Ambassador90 which, in my estimate, have caused the Japanese to pause for the moment in their plans regarding Shanghai, I stated that I proposed to recommend to the Department that as Japan might be disposed just at this time to listen more attentively to the United States, and a modification of the Japanese plans might be possible if some way could be shown for a graceful retreat with “face” by Japan, we might suggest that the Japanese Government intervene to recommend the Chinese Municipal Regime to reach a compromise solution of the western area problem in negotiation with the Municipal Council, perhaps along the lines of an agreement for a specially selected police force under a mixed commission or committee on which both the Council and the Municipal Regime should be represented.
- 5.
- British Ambassador endorsed my view and stated that he would again recommend parallel representations at Tokyo.
- Aide-mémoire of May 17, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 842.↩
- September 7 and 15; see memoranda by the Secretary of State, ibid., vol ii, pp. 12 and 15.↩