793.94112/27: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 5—7:15 a.m.]
657. Following are texts of proclamations issued by Commanders in Chief of the Japanese Second and Third Fleets as communicated by Japanese Consul General to the Senior Consul today:
“I hereby announce that commencing from 6 p.m. on September 5, 1937 Chinese shipping both Government owned and private will be prohibited by the naval forces under my command from entering into or exiting from the Chinese territorial waters extending from 40 north latitude and 119.54 degrees east longitude to 34.30 north latitude and 119.55 degrees east longitude but excepting the port of Tsingtao. The present prohibition will be applicable to all Chinese shipping but will not prevent vessels of third powers and of Japan from entering into or exiting from the prescribed area. Vice Admiral Zengo Yoshida, Commander in Chief of the Second Fleet Imperial Japanese Navy.”
“I hereby announce that commencing from 6 p.m. September 5, 1937 Chinese shipping both Government owned and private will be prohibited by the naval forces under my command from entering into or exiting from the Chinese territorial waters extending from 34.30 degrees north latitude and 119.50 degrees east longitude to 21.33 degrees north latitude and 108.03 degrees east longitude but excluding the waters belonging to leased territories of third powers. The present prohibition will apply to all Chinese shipping but vessels of third powers and of Japan will not be prevented from entering into or exiting from the prescribed zone. The present proclamation will replace the previous one issued by me August 25, 1937. Vice Admiral Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Commander in Chief of the Third Fleet Imperial Japanese Navy on board H. I. J. M. S. Idzumo”.
Sent to Department, repeated to Nanking and Peiping.