793.94/4772: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 16—8:55 a.m.]
185. Through arrangements which were stated by the Secretary of the Japanese Legation to have been perfected at Nanking the Japanese turned over yesterday 36 out of 37 combatant prisoners of war. The 37th is alleged to be a Japanese boy 17 years of age who enlisted in the 19th Route Army some weeks ago for his board. These are stated by the same official to be all the combatant prisoners of war that are now in their possession. It is claimed that yesterday two Japanese prisoners of war were turned over to the Japanese authorities at Nanking. The names and ranks of these two prisoners are not to be published.
2. The delivery of the Chinese prisoners first came to my attention through a letter dated March 9th to the Senior Consul from the Japanese Consul General requesting a permit to transport the 36 prisoners from headquarters to Sinza Road via Szechuen Road, Nanking Road, Bubbling Well Road and Carter Road to Sinza Road. This appears to me to be the height of imprudence and indiscretion since the Chinese residents must regard such a procession as a march of victory and it was sure to lead to disturbances in the thickly populated part of the city. I immediately got in touch with the Japanese authorities, the British Consul General, and the Shanghai Municipal Council authorities in an endeavor to secure a change of plans. I informed the American Minister of my proposal which met with his approval. Yesterday morning the First Secretary of the Japanese Legation called upon me and agreed to change the route so that the prisoners would be conveyed entirely around the Settlement to the western side for delivery to the Chinese, which was completed at 1:30 p.m.
Repeated to the Legation, copy to the Minister.