Office of the Historian

811.30 Asiatic Fleet/521: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai (Lockhart)

Washington, August 22, 1938—2 p.m.

499. Your 1144, August 21, 4 p.m.27

1.
A United Press despatch of August 22 from Shanghai states, inter alia, that “The Japanese blockade of the Yangtze River may soon be the occasion of a sharp exchange between Japan and foreign nations, particularly the United States, it was understood today,” that “Last week the Japanese refused a formal request of Admiral Harry E. Yarnell for the United States gunboat Monocacy to proceed down the river from Kiukiang, where it has been isolated for some weeks, to refuel and reprovision”; that “His request that the gunboat Oahu be permitted to proceed to its relief also was refused”; that “It was reported that American naval authorities here (in China) had favored strong action in face of the Japanese refusal and considered the situation sufficiently serious to refer it to the State Department at Washington”; that “A decision which might involve a serious diplomatic situation has been deferred only because the Monocacy has fuel and provisions sufficient to permit it to remain at Kiukiang for a short time”; and that “Diplomatic quarters predicted freely that before long there might be the most important showdown of the Chinese war between the Japanese and American Governments”.
2.
As you know, these statements are not founded on fact. I desire that you get in touch with the United Press correspondent; that you inform him that while it has been decided that the Monocacy remain at Kiukiang for the time being, the other statements made in his news despatch are unfounded and therefore mischievous and misleading to the American public and the publication of such statements in this country can serve only the opposite of a useful purpose.
3.
I realize that the Consulate General endeavors constantly to maintain effectively cooperative relations with the press correspondents, and I hope that it will be practicable through such cooperation to prevent the sending of such sensational, inaccurate and misleading stories as the one under reference.
Hull
  1. Not printed.↩