393.115/528: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:33 p.m.]
714. My 676, November 14, 2 p.m.56 Reply received from Japanese Embassy today which quotes following report from Japanese military authorities.
“When a Japanese airplane was reconnoitering at an altitude of 1,000 metres over Sutsien on the 5th of November, it was machine gunned by certain Chinese troops, outside the south wall of the city. The army plane, making a descent, fired some 30 shots upon the Chinese attackers. At the moment the army airplane, noticing an American flag on the ground near the area, stopped the firing at once and returned to its aviation field. In this connection, it should be made clear that not only the size of the American flag which is small but as it was raised on the pole, its visibility was very poor by that plane on a high altitude and especially under such circumstances.”
Embassy note comments that the army plane did not fire intentionally at the American hospital and that it stopped attacking “at once on noticing the American flag, even sacrificing the advantages in its operations”. The note also states that
“the Japanese authorities desire to express sincere sympathy for the damage sustained unfortunately by the American hospital by stray bullets from the airplane. The instruction has been sent to the local military authorities to negotiate on the spot with the authorities of the mission for the settlement of the cases of the American contingent. And now a reply has been received here from the local authorities to the effect that on December 2nd the both parties concerned reached an agreement and the matter has been satisfactorily settled.”
Note concludes with request that all marks on American properties be made horizontally on the roofs with flags or have proper markings and that they be large enough to be clearly visible from a high altitude and that the Chinese troops whether regulars or irregulars be kept at least 300 meters away from American property.
Repeated to Chungking, Shanghai. By airmail to Tokyo.
- Not printed.↩