793.94/15621a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
25. The Department desires that, unless you perceive objection, you make an informal approach to the Japanese Foreign Office along lines as follows:
The Government of the United States is informed that Japanese military planes have recently subjected to frequent bombings that part of the railway between Haiphong and Yunnanfu which lies in Chinese territory. A considerable part of the trade involved in this country’s normal commercial relations with China has in recent months been carried on via that railway. Japanese bombing of the railway must, therefore, necessarily injure American commerce and may endanger the lives of American citizens engaged in that commerce. This injury to our commerce and danger to our nationals comes at the very time when, according to our understanding, it is Japan’s desire to indicate to this country its intention to avoid injuries to the rights of third powers in China. If the bombing continues, the United States will be compelled to enter this activity on the already long list of commercial and other injuries which it has suffered as a result of Japanese action in China. We assume that the Japanese Government is aware that the railway is an important means of ingress and egress for the personnel of American official establishments at Chungking. Bombing attacks on the railway may, therefore, endanger the lives of Americans lawfully engaged upon the conduct of official duties.
Please inform the Department of such action as you may take.
Sent to Tokyo via Peiping. Repeated to Chungking.