393.115/134: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Embassy in China (Allison) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 21—2:25 p.m.]
31. My 27, January 18, 3 [4] p.m.28 and Tokyo’s 40, January 19, 7 p.m.29 I have just been called upon by Messrs. Fukui and Fukuda of the Japanese Embassy and Major Hongo of the staff of the garrison commander. They reported the receipt of a telegram from the Foreign Office which referred to portions my 27, January 18, 3 [4] p.m. and they had come to offer explanations and assurances that adequate steps were now being taken to prevent, in the future, violation of colony [property?].
Major Hongo explained at great length the difficulties which confronted the military in guarding foreign property and then he stated that strict orders had been given for the punishment of any soldier caught in foreign property as well as for punishment of their company officers. He stated that for the next few days transfers of various military units in this district might cause some confusion but that after the transfers had ceased he was certain complete order would be restored. He requested that I inform Washington and Tokyo of his call on me.
I thanked the gentlemen for their call and told them that I hoped I should be able to report in a few days that violation of American property had materially decreased.
Repeated to Hankow, Peiping and Shanghai. Please repeat to Tokyo.
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, Vol. i, p. 567.↩
- Not printed; but see memorandum of January 19, by the Counselor of Embassy in Japan, ibid., p. 568.↩