Office of the Historian

393.1115/2311: Telegram

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

Hankow, December 27, 1937—11 a.m.
[Received December 27—9 a.m.]

108. Tokyo’s 682, December 26, 10 a.m. Scheme covered in my 33, December 13, 4 p.m., was not intended to be called “safety zone” but was intended to cover the area at Hankow where foreign property and foreign individuals are concentrated. There are other foreign properties outside this area and we would expect protection for those properties also but area in question is well known to the Japanese Government and easily defined, and would in case of hostilities become concentration point for foreigners living at Hankow.

I have hesitated mentioning Kuling as a place of refuge as the fact that Americans and others were living in Kuling and that many expected to remain there, was communicated to Japanese Army in August or September through Embassy at Tokyo and we at that time received assurances that it would be respected as long as Chinese military activities were not carried on there. Every effort is being made at the present time to evacuate as many Americans as possible from Kuling and Hankow, but it will be impossible to evacuate all. Some will and must remain.

With reference to (b), if we are to subject ourselves to being told by the Japanese where we may go or where we may concentrate nationals or shipping for safety’s sake, I fear that we will find ourselves in an impossible situation. This will be particularly true for Americans who have little or no shipping available. We would have to follow a plan here at Hankow of concentrating Americans in one of the buildings here in area designated in my No. 33 of December 13, 4 p.m., and depend upon the Japanese to respect us and refrain from attacking. If Japanese Army is to continue present practice of pursuing fleeing soldiers and Chinese civilians, conducting a kind of proscription among such civilians and soldiers, it will be difficult indeed to find any place where foreigners may be concentrated for safety.

Sent to Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Peiping.

Johnson