893.24/757: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 24—5:30 p.m.]
491. Japanese advice to the British Government to stop shipment of supplies to Chiang Kai Shek Government from Burma and Hong Kong.
1. My British colleague has just given me the following paraphrase of two telegrams sent to the Foreign Office in London today.
“Paraphrase of the telegram sent to the Foreign Office 24th June.
Vice Minister asked me to call today and acting for Minister for Foreign Affairs who was engaged on another urgent matter, communicated memorandum in regard to transit of supplies through Burma, of which translation is given in my immediately following telegram. In answer to my inquiry whether this communication was based on any rule of international law, Vice Minister replied in the negative, adding that the memorandum was to be regarded as a friendly communication (not a ‘demand’) designed to obtain our cooperation in a matter which [has] such a serious effect on Anglo-Japanese relations. He did not dispute my further assertion that the Japanese Government were, in fact, asking us to commit an act which, even if a state of war had been declared, would in [effect involve His Majesty’s Government in an?] un [neutral position?]. He observed, however, that in the present state of affairs Japanese public opinion could hardly be expected to watch with equanimity the passage [Page 37] sage of large stocks of munitions which were enabling the Chungking régime to maintain its resistance against Japan. (End of paraphrase)
- 2.
- Vice Minister also made reference to passage of war material via Hong Kong, to which I replied that export of munitions had been forbidden since January 1939 and that as regards such things as trucks and oil exports in the past year had been insignificant.
- 3.
- I undertook to transmit Japanese request to Your Lordship and Vice Minister stated that Japanese Government would much appreciate an early reply both on this question and on the question of the withdrawal of Allied troops from Shanghai.
(Begin paraphrase of second telegram to the Foreign Office.)
Whereas the transport of arms, ammunition and other military supplies to the Chungking Government via Burma is still being actively carried on, the Imperial Japanese Government, for reasons of necessity connected with the prosecution of military operations against the Chungking Government, are unable further to overlook a continuance of the transport of the above-mentioned articles. Accordingly they request that the British Government will ultimately give effect to measures necessary to put a stop to the transportation via Burma not only of arms and ammunition, but also of transport supplies such as fuel, especially gasoline, trucks and railway materials.”
While the Japanese note is not so severe as was suggested in the press, it is of interest that the Japanese have requested that an early reply be made to the friendly advice that armed forces be withdrawn from Shanghai.