125.8576/6–649: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 6—1:02 p. m.]
1450. We have talked to Cabot by phone twice this evening. At 8:30 there was no change his beleaguered position and he and staff were preparing to spend night inside Consulate General. Assume Department has details direct from Consulate General and press. We feel in addition press accounts appearing in US, Department should make its own authoritative statement to press emphasizing complete lack protection from public authorities. In circumstances we believe publicity [Page 1199] our best weapon and full use of it should be made. (Shanghai telegram 2628 July 6 to Department.)
We telephoned Hua90 at his home this evening to report incident. He offered to telephone Shanghai director Aliens Affairs tomorrow morning. Suggested Cabot himself continue trying to reach Chang Han-fu by telephone tonight and tomorrow morning as best chance early relief. Tomorrow complicated by celebration Shanghai-Nanking occupation and anniversary Marco Polo bridge incident91 (see Embtel 1447 and 1448, July 6,92 repeated Shanghai 805 and 806) [10 characters garbled] outrageous incident in keeping with present unreasonable demands of labor principally resulting from provocative Communist propaganda. We can only assume that present near-anarchic conditions Shanghai are out of control of Communist authorities or that they are developing with their connivance, unless Communists are afraid of losing face over retraction their own anti-foreign propaganda.
Repeated Shanghai 808.
- Huang Hua, Director of Communist Aliens Affairs Office at Nanking.↩
- Outbreak of hostilities between Japanese and Chinese forces near Peiping, July 7–8, 1937; see Foreign Relations, 1937, vol. iii, pp. 128 ff., and ibid., Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, pp. 313 ff.↩
- Ante, pp. 409 and 410, respectively.↩