thorities to give countenance to the concluding of an agreement by local authorities in the north, and that there seemed to be progress toward the making of an agreement; also, the Nanking authorities seemed to be ready to dismiss certain officials in the north and to withdraw certain troops from certain points. Mr. Suma said that this gave warrant for hope of an amicable adjustment.

I said that I was glad to have this information and that we very greatly hoped that there would be an adjustment without further hostilities.

Mr. Suma then said that, with regard to the "incident in which two American ladies were involved" in Peiping, his Embassy had been informed that the American Embassy in Peiping had sent a memorandum to the Japanese Embassy and the Japanese Embassy had sent a memorandum in reply explaining what had occurred. Mr. Suma asked whether I had the same information. I said that we had been informed of the American Embassy's memorandum but not of the Japanese Embassy's memorandum; that we have received, however, quite a little information, including the following: that an officer of the American Embassy had taken to the Counselor of the Japanese Embassy the memorandum of the facts and the Japanese Embassy had undertaken to take the matter up with the commanding officer of the Japanese guard; that thereafter the commanding officer of the Japanese guard, on the occasion of a call by the commanding officer of the American guard, had expressed regret over the incident; but that apparently no expression of regret had as yet come from any Japanese diplomatic source. Mr. Suma said that he thought that the matter had been taken care of completely between the two Embassies. I went on to say that we did not wish to make an issue of the matter but that I would like in all friendliness to call attention to certain aspects of the case. I asked whether Mr. Suma had read the newspaper accounts here in Washington. Mr. Suma said that he had. He also said that he had been called up by many newspaper correspondents with regard to the matter. I then said that, this being the case, he would realize that the matter had aroused quite a little attention here. Mr. Suma nodded assent. I said that of the two young ladies involved one was a daughter of an American naval officer, now deceased, who was well known and widely connected here and in Virginia and whose widow has been employed for many years in the Navy Department here. I said that American opinion habitually reacts with unfavorable criticism to news of any rough treatment of women; that the two women involved in this case were young and perhaps full of curiosity, but that a charge that they were engaged in spying upon or looking into "military secrets" of an Embassy in the Legation Quarter in Peiping could not fail to evoke expressions of annoyance

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and ridicule from the American public. Mr. Suma nodded assent. I then said that, speaking unofficially and with the thought that he should not make what I said a matter of record, I wondered whether it might not seem to him, upon reflection, that, in such cases, a contribution could be made toward promoting good will and averting ill will between the nations whose nationals are involved, by prompt and graceful expression of regret by diplomatic agencies. I said that we here were not acting on the case, that I was not suggesting or requesting that the Japanese Government act, but that I was offering to Mr. Suma, as between friends and observers, an insight into my own reflections on the general subject involved.

Mr. Suma said that he understood. He said, reverting to the Chinese-Japanese situation, that he hoped that he would be able to bring continually encouraging news. I said that I reciprocated that hope. And the conversation there ended.

793.94/8993: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

WASHINGTON, July 27, 1937-1 p. m.

128. Department is informed from London 19 that British Embassy at Peiping states that the senior commandant has been informed by the Japanese liaison officer that the Japanese intend to launch, regardless of whether the withdrawal of the 37th Division is proceeding satisfactorily, a general attack against all Chinese forces both within and without the city of Peiping.

Please confer immediately with the British Embassy and, in your discretion, take action on lines parallel with British Embassy's action toward dissuading Japanese authorities from proceeding with any plan for military operations which would be likely to endanger lives of American nationals. You may use, as a part basis for such action, the fact of the presence of large numbers of American nationals in Peiping, rights of this country along with other countries under the Boxer Protocol,20 and assurances given by the Japanese Government during the present crisis, especially an assurance given this Government in writing, when the Japanese Ambassador, on July 12, called on me and gave me a memorandum 21 from the Japanese Government, numbered paragraph 6 of which concludes:

"In any case the Japanese Government is prepared to give full consideration to the rights and interests of the Powers in China."

19 See telegram No. 505, July 27, 1 p. m., vol. III, p. 271.

20 Signed at Peking, September 7, 1901, Foreign Relations, 1901, Appendix (Affairs in China), p. 312.

"Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931-1941, vol. 1, p. 318.

The Department has sent a similar telegram to the Embassy at Peiping 22 with the request that Peiping report immediately to the Department and repeat its telegram to you.

Report by telegraph and repeat your telegram to Peiping.

HULL

393.1115/24: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary

of State

PEIPING, July 27, 1937-3 p. m. [Received July 27-5 a. m.]

304. Reference paragraph 1 Embassy's 302, July 27, 1 p. m.23 1. Americans resident in Western Hills and Yenching University neighborhood have been warned to come into Peiping. The question of bringing Americans resident in Peiping to the Legation quarter was fully considered this morning, after consultation with the command of the guard and military and naval authorities and after consultation by Commandant with Commandants of British and French guards, and it was decided that the situation has not yet reached the stage which would warrant calling Americans into the Legation quarter. All plans to that end have been made, however, the Embassy keeping in frequent touch with Japanese and Chinese and with other Embassies' officials. A census of Americans resident in Peiping concluded within the past few days indicates that there are approximately 700 Americans here at present, exclusive of a few tourists and the enlisted men of the guard. It is planned to bring Americans into the Legation quarter at the first sign of any developments which might endanger their lives.

2. The German Embassy, basing its action principally on the action taken by the Japanese Embassy with respect to its nationals, has advised German residents of Peiping to remove to the Legation quarter. Repeated to Nanking and Shanghai. For the Minister.

LOCKHART

793.94/9037: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

TOKYO, July 28, 1937-5 p. m. [Received July 28-11:05 a. m.]

230. Department's 128, July 27, 1 p. m.

1. The British Chargé d'Affaires and I saw the Minister for Foreign Affairs 24 separately this morning. I carried out your instruc

22 The Embassy office at Nanking likewise was informed July 27 and 29. 23 Vol. III, p. 270.

24 Koki Hirota.

tions fully and with emphasis. In the course of my representations I made the following oral statement:

"Information issuing from various authoritative Japanese sources indicate that military operations may be imminently initiated by the Japanese military command in North China.

Since the initiation on July 7th of the current incident in North China, the Japanese Government has on various occasions and in various ways taken cognizance of the presence of American nationals, along with nationals of other foreign countries, in the affected area, and of the existence in that area of the rights and interests of the United States, along with rights and interests of other foreign countries, which are based on the Boxer Protocol and on other international instruments. There are cited in this relation a memorandum of the Japanese Ambassador which was delivered to the American Government on July 12th by the Japanese Ambassador at Washington numbered paragraph 6 of which concludes: 'In any case the Japanese Government is prepared to give full consideration to the rights and interests of the powers in China'; and to the statement issued yesterday by the Cabinet, in which there is contained the statement: 'It goes without saying that Japan will make every effort to give protection to the vested rights and interests in China of other foreign powers.'

It is earnestly hoped that the Japanese Government will give effect to the assurances which it has directly and indirectly conveyed to the American Government and that it will take effective measures toward dissuading the Japanese command in North China from proceeding with any plan for military operations which would be likely to endanger lives and property of American nationals."

2. The Department's directions specified precisely that I was authorized to dissuade the Japanese authorities from proceeding with any plan for military operations "which would be likely to endanger lives of American nationals" or to jeopardize the rights and interests of the powers in China. I therefore placed the emphasis accordingly rather than on the avoidance of hostilities per se.

3. In this respect there seems to be a discrepancy between the instructions as expressed in the Department's 128 25 and your statement in press conference as reported in the Department's 129 26 which does not appear to mention the factor of the protection of foreign nationals' rights and interests.

4. I have declined to make any statement to the foreign or local press correspondents here, feeling that such statements should be issued only by you in Washington and by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Tokyo. Otherwise, there is liable to be a crossing of wires.

5. The Minister for Foreign Affairs stated to me categorically that it is not true that the Japanese intend to launch a general attack against all Chinese forces both within and without the city of Peiping

25 July 27, 1 p. m., p. 238.

26 July 27, 6 p. m., vol. III, p. 274.

regardless of whether the withdrawal of the 37th Division is proceeding satisfactorily. He said that over 2 weeks' warning had been given to the Chinese troops to withdraw from Peiping on the basis of the agreement of July 11 and that since this warning had not been acted upon it had finally become necessary to set a time limit at noon today and that a Japanese attack would be carried out only if withdrawal of the 37th Division has not already taken place. He said he had no news today as to whether this withdrawal had been effected. The Minister appeared to ignore the sporadic Japanese attacks already reported from Peiping.

6. The Minister gave me explicit assurances that every effort would be made to protect the lives and property of American and other foreign nationals and the rights and interests of the United States and other powers in the affected area and he has confidence in General Kazuki who, the Minister says, has complete control of his troops. The Minister added however that the Japanese Consulate in Peiping had informed other foreign Consuls that Japanese subjects in outlying districts had been advised to concentrate in the Legation quarter in Peiping. The Minister thought that similar steps would therefore have been taken by the other foreign Consuls with respect to their own nationals.

7. Whatever may be the results of the repeated American and British representations in Washington, London, and Tokyo, the British Chargé d'Affaires and I are convinced after most careful thought that no step has been left untaken by our respective Governments or ourselves which might have averted the present crisis. As matters have developed, the crisis was inevitable but having seen many serious crises in the Far East overcome I cannot yet conclude from this angle that the situation is hopeless or that general warfare may not still be avoided.

Repeated to Peiping.

GREW

793.94/9087: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson),

at Nanking

WASHINGTON, July 30, 1937-7 p. m.

121. 1. Under date July 30 Tientsin telegraphs as follows:

"Although I consider disorder unlikely in Peitaiho, I suggest that in view of the large number of Americans there without telegraph or rail communications in this direction an American war vessel be temporarily stationed at Peitaiho or Chinwangtao to assist in telegraphic communication, allay anxiety of Americans and possibly render some other assistance.