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793.94/8761
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
Regarding a Conversation With the Japanese Ambassador (Saito)
[WASHINGTON,] July 12, 1937.
The Japanese Ambassador called by his own
request. He said that he had two things to discuss or to report on—one was that
Japan had two ships taking part in the search for Amelia Earhart [31] and that their officials at Hawaii and other points had been
instructed to keep closely posted on the search in the hope of being of some
help. I thanked him very earnestly for this fine spirit of friendliness and
cooperation on the part of his government.
The
Ambassador then handed me a manuscript containing six paragraphs or points
relative to the Japanese-Chinese military trouble which commenced on July 7th.
A copy of the instrument of writing is attached hereto. [31a] The Ambassador
read each numbered paragraph for the purpose of any comment I might wish to
make. I inquired, when he read the first paragraph, how many troops there were
in the Japanese detachment stationed at Fengtai on July 7th. He replied that he
did not know but that he supposed it was a hundred or some such number. He said
that he imagined this detachment, which was unexpectedly fired upon by Chinese
troops, was on the other side of the river from the Chinese troops at the Marco
Polo Bridge. When I suggested that Japanese troops had been understood to be
camped at various points between the two
[31] American aviatrix
lost in Pacific Ocean on a round-the-world flight.
[31a] Not printed.
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DOCUMENTS
railroads leading into Peking, he said he was not a student of the
geography of this locality. He said that these Japanese troops were located in
this Chinese area under the same authority that United States guards and those
of three or four other countries are at present stationed in Peking and other
Chinese cities. I expressed deep regret at the incident during the reading of
each paragraph. He said that Chiang Kai-shek is behind the entire movement;
that the idea, in the Ambassador's opinion, is to strengthen his prestige in
northern China and especially with certain elements of Chinese who have charged
him with being too lax and non-aggressive in his treatment of the Japanese
situation. The Ambassador remarked that he still had some hope the matter might
be composed, and then added that the Chinese must know that the Japanese could
bring their fleet around to the Chinese coast and take complete control of
situation.
At the conclusion of the reading, I specially
emphasized with approval the remarks of the Ambassador about the efforts of his
government to work out a friendly settlement without war. I elaborated upon the
futility of any other course and the awful consequences of war. I said that a
great civilized first-class power like Japan not only could afford to exercise
general self-restraint in such circumstances but that in the long run it was
far better that this should characterize the attitude and policy of his
government; that I have been looking forward with increasing encouragement to
an early period when our two great nations in particular, while other important
countries are hesitating to go forward and in fact are slipping backward
fundamentally with respect to their economic and standard-of-living situations,
would have the opportunity, as well as the great responsibility, for world
leadership with a constructive program like the basic program proclaimed at
Buenos Aires [32] for the purpose of restoring and
preserving stable conditions of business and of peace, which program I
elaborated on; that no two great countries have rarely had such an opportunity
in these respects as seems to be ahead for our two countries and that of course
it means everything from this viewpoint, as well as others, that serious
military operations should not be allowed to get under way; and again I
expressed my strongest approval of the disposition and self-restraint which his
government is manifesting, judging by the statements of
[32] See Department of
State Conference Series 33 (pub. 1088), Report
of the Delegation of the United States of America to the Inter-American
Conference for the Maintenance of Peace, Buenos Aires, Argentina, December
1-23, 1936 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1937).
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DOCUMENTS
the Ambassador. He said that he would be glad to keep me advised as to
any further developments of consequence. I replied that of course this country
is greatly interested and greatly concerned in conditions of peace in every
part of the world, and that I would welcome anything further in the way of information
from time to time, and would be glad to treat in very strictest confidence any
confidential information he might care to give me on the subject. I again
emphasized the great injury to the victor as well as the vanquished in case of
any important war in this day and time, of the great concern of this government
for peace everywhere and of my earnest hope that our two countries would soon
find themselves in a situation to accentuate a program such as we proclaimed in
the main at Buenos Aires. The Ambassador indicated his interest and approval. I
concluded by thanking him for his offer to furnish further information.
C [ORDELL ] H [ULL]