740.0011 European War 1939/2922: Telegram
The First Secretary of Embassy in China (Smyth) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 14—7:22 a.m.]
161. Local Japanese military officials are displaying keen interest in regard to question of Italian entry into the European war. A Japanese staff officer brought the matter up yesterday afternoon with Colonel Turnage, American and senior guard commander, and expressed concern over the possibility of conflicts between French, British and Italian military units here and in Tientsin if Italy should enter the war. Turnage replied that he anticipated no such trouble, particularly in view of the small forces now maintained in North China by the three powers (see Peiping’s 5, January 4, 4 p.m., and Tientsin’s 2, January 5, 5 p.m.40). This morning Japanese officer mentioned the matter to Major Mayer, Military Attaché.
It seems possible that should Italy enter the war the Japanese would again request or “invite” belligerent powers to withdraw their armed forces from China as in September last.41 If the powers should accede to the request or if pressure were applied it seems possible that the Japanese would endeavor to take over control of the three foreign concessions at Tientsin. The situation in Peiping would probably be different as the diplomatic quarter is international.
Eepeated to Chungking, Tientsin, Shanghai. By air mail to Tokyo.
- Neither printed.↩
- See telegram No. 458, September 5, 1939, 7 p.m., from the Chargé in Japan, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 9.↩