Office of the Historian

740.00117 Pacific War/94

The Spanish Embassy to the Department of State 71

Memorandum
No. 352
Ex. 119.01

The Spanish Embassy presents its compliments to the Department of State and begs to transmit herewith, a complaint that has been received from the Japanese Government, through the “Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores” in Madrid.

“The Imperial Government files protest with the United States Government for the aerial or submarine attack against four of its [Page 1044] hospital ships, as specified hereafter. The names of such ships were communicated to the American Government, in accordance with The Hague Treaty of 1907, relative to the Geneva Treaty, the markings of said ships being as stipulated in Article V of said Treaty and the ships being sufficiently lighted during the nights of the attacks, the latter resulting in infringement and direct violation of said Treaty.

The Imperial Government had already, in the month of June last,72 energetically protested to the American Government for attacks on its hospital ships; notwithstanding this fact, the Japanese Government finds itself once again placed under identical circumstances.

The Imperial Government when submitting this protest to the American Government demands guarantees that such attacks will not recur.

1
—Takasago Maru. Was attacked by enemy submarine which discharged two torpedoes against it on April 26, 1943, at 1:38 A.M. at approximately 60 miles northeast of Amboina, South latitude 3 degrees 19 minutes and Longitude East 127 degrees, 27 minutes, its helm having been damaged and the helmsman killed, part of the hull was also damaged.
2
—Mitsuho [Mizuho] Maru. Was attacked by an enemy plane which directed three bombs against it on July 1st, 1943, at 2:17 A.M. at 152 degrees longitude East and 42 degrees South latitude.
3
—Muro Maru. Was attacked by an enemy submarine on July …,73 1943 at 9:3 [sic] A.M. near Palaos, 7 degrees 37 minutes North latitude, 134 degrees 26 minutes longitude East.
4
—America Maru. Was attacked September 6, 1943 at 11:29 A.M. at 1 degree 37 minutes Latitude South and 149 Longitude East, by a four-motor Consolidated type plane. This enemy bomber directed four bombs against the America Maru, machine gunning the decks, wounding three of the crew and damaging the hull of the ship.”
Washington , December 13, 1943.
  1. Handed on December 14 to Assistant Secretary Long by the Spanish Ambassador (Cárdenas), and acknowledged by the Department on January 1, 1944.↩
  2. See memorandum from the Spanish Embassy, June 28, p. 1036.↩
  3. Omission indicated in the original; cable transmitted by the American Red Cross on August 3 indicates date was July 1.↩