Japanese Admit Troops are Unable to Afford Police Protection Washington, July 16.
The failure of Japanese troops even in such cities as Shanghai and Nanking to guarantee police protection for foreign nationals has led Japan to refuse permission to American missionaries, businessmen and physicians to return to Nanking and other cities to resume their business, the Japanese Foreign Office explained in a note sent to the Department of State today.
The note followed conversations between Mr. Joseph C. Grew, American Ambassador to Japan, and Mr. Kensuke Horinouchi, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, at Tokyo. The conference was held for the purpose of obtaining the necessary permission from the Japanese Government to allow early admission of Ameticay' missionaries and businessmen th Japanese occupied territory in China.
The note, in a conciliatory tone, said, "concerning the present conditions, of places in question, the Japanese Government even now is still continuing military operations under the command of self defence."
While on the surface, cities such as Shanghai and Nanking may appear to be peaceful there must be special consideration for the safeguarding of military secrets, the note said. Moreover, there are "many individuals of dangerous character plotting conspiracies. the note said.
"It cannot be predicted," the note continued, "when incidents will occur. In view of these actual conditions, the police of the Japanese consulates alone are insufficient protection for nationals of third Powers.
The note added that it would severely burden the operations of the army to assign regular military detachments for such protection of foreigners.
The future policy, the note said, will be to permit a gradual return of third Power nationals "depending on the actual conditions prevailing at any given place."—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.