711.94/1762: Telegram
The First Secretary of Embassy in China (Smyth) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 14—12:25 p.m.]
381. Peiping’s 372, October 9, 6 p.m.,55 and 376, October 11 [12?], 3 [1?] p.m.56 An American newspaper correspondent has learned from a source which has hitherto proved reliable that on October 11 the Japanese Army here instructed local newspaper editors as follows:
The United States has now openly provoked Japan and is opposing the new order in East Asia; the United States should, therefore, be [Page 425] treated as a would-be enemy but although editors should keep this in mind they should not yet give expression thereto; the situation is now very delicate and every word published must be carefully weighed. The source in question states that as a result of these instructions there has so far been no anti-American campaign in the local Japanese or Chinese press which the Embassy can confirm from its news items.
The source mentioned above also reports that the poster campaign of the “China Youth Party” (Peiping’s 376, October 11 [12?], 3 [1?] p.m.) was refused police support as the police upon inquiry ascertained that the campaign was not sponsored by the local Japanese gendarmerie. No additional posters have appeared.
Sent to the Department. Repeated to Chungking, Shanghai, Tokyo.