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American, British, and German Diplomatic Documents

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The 1937 – 1938 Nanjing Atrocities

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Abstract

A week after Shanghai fell, with Japanese troops moving swiftly westward toward Nanjing, the Chinese Government announced on November 20, 1937 that the national capital would move from Nanjing to Chongqing in West China. The move was immediately implemented. Some government agencies transferred directly to Chongqing, while others, including the Ministries of Communications, Finance, and Foreign Affairs, first relocated to Hankou in Central China. Foreign governments urged their citizens to evacuate Nanjing and advised their embassies to move with the Chinese Government. Embassies of the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and a few other countries followed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Hankou. American ambassador Nelson Trusler Johnson and the majority of embassy staff departed from Nanjing on USS Luzon on November 23. Meanwhile, the United States, Great Britain and Germany respectively kept a skeleton team of diplomats in Nanjing to maintain embassy business as long as possible. The American consular team comprised Second Secretary George Atcheson, Second Secretary John Hall Paxton, Assistant Military Attaché Frank Needham Roberts and Emile Peter Gassie, Jr., a code clerk.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Harlan J. Swanson, “The Panay Incident: Prelude to Pearl Harbor,” U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, December 1967, pp. 28–31.

  2. 2.

    John M. Allison, Unnumbered Telegram, 6 p.m., December 31, 1937, 793.94/11921, Microfilm Set M976, Roll 48, RG59, National Archives II.

  3. 3.

    John M. Allison, No. 4 Telegram, 4 p.m., January 5, 1938, 793.94/11974, Microfilm Set M976, Roll 48, RG59, National Archives II.

  4. 4.

    His Chinese servant.

  5. 5.

    John M. Allison, No. 7 Telegram, 5 p.m., January 6, 1938, 393.1115/2447, Box 1795, RG59, National Archives II.

  6. 6.

    John M. Allison, No. 27 Telegram, 4 p.m., January 18, 1938, 393.115/125, Box 1820, RG59, National Archives II.

  7. 7.

    John M. Allison, No. 32 Telegram, noon, January 22, 1938, 793.94/12176, Microfilm Set M976, Roll 49, RG59, National Archives II.

  8. 8.

    Besides 14 Americans, there were 5 Germans, 1 Austrian, and 2 White Russians in Nanjing. Here it should be “other 8 foreigners.”

  9. 9.

    James Espy, “The Conditions at Nanking, January 1938,” pp. 1–9.

  10. 10.

    John M. Allison, No. 32 Telegram, noon, January 22, 1938.

  11. 11.

    James Espy, “The Conditions at Nanking, January 1938,” pp. 9–11.

  12. 12.

    James Espy, “Conditions of American Property and Interests in Nanking,” pp. 1–3.

  13. 13.

    American Ambassador Nelson Trusler Johnson (1887–1954).

  14. 14.

    John M. Allison, “Claims Settlement for Damages and Losses Suffered on American Embassy Premises,” March 21, 1938, Box 0815, RG59, National Archives II.

  15. 15.

    No. 3 Enclosure to the report, “Claims Settlement for Damages and Losses Suffered on American Embassy Premises,” March 21, 1938, Box 815, RG59, National Archives II.

  16. 16.

    John M. Allison, No. 40 Telegram, 2 p.m., January 27, 1938, 123 Allison, John M./161, Box 355, RG59, National Archives II.

  17. 17.

    John M. Allison, No. 117 Telegram, 5 p.m., June 15, 1938, 394.1123 Thomson, J. C./1, Box 1847, RG59, National Archives II.

  18. 18.

    “Airmen Fell Diplomat near Shanghai: Union Jack on Auto,” Washington Post, August 27, 1937, pp. 1 & 3 and “British Note Rebukes Japan,” Christian Science Monitor, August 30, 1937, p. 2.

  19. 19.

    “Americans Ready to Leave Nanking,” NYT, November 17, 1937, p. 5.

  20. 20.

    “Japs Push into 2 More Cities in Nanking Area,” Chicago Daily Tribune, December 10, 1937, p. 10.

  21. 21.

    William Alexander Lovat-Fraser, “The Capture of Nanking,” January 3, 1938, p. 11, File 1751, FO371/22043, Foreign Office, Political Departments, General Correspondence 1906–1966, Public Record Office, London.

  22. 22.

    奥宮正武 (Masatake Okumiya), 私の見た南京事件 (The Nanjing Incident I witnessed), Tokyo: PHP 研究所 (PHP Research Institute), 1997, p. 23.

  23. 23.

    Chief of staff, HMS Bee, A telegram to Vice Admiral, Yangtze, December 18, 1937, ADM116/3881, Yangtze Records, Public Record Office, London.

  24. 24.

    Georg Rosen, A report to Foreign Ministry, January 20, 1938, in Good Man of Nanking, p. 145.

  25. 25.

    Chief of staff, HMS Bee, A telegram to Vice Admiral, Yangtze, December 18, 1937.

  26. 26.

    H. T. Armstrong, Report of Proceedings, December 31, 1937, ADM1/9558, Naval Station, Yangtze General Letters: Proceedings, 1937–38, Public Record Office.

  27. 27.

    Senior Officer, Nanking, A message to Rear Admiral, Yangtze, January 6, 1938, ADM 116/3882, Yangtze Records, Public Record Office.

  28. 28.

    Consul Nanking, No. 7 telegram to the British Embassy in Shanghai, 5:18 p.m. January 13, 1938, ADM116/3882, Yangtze Records, Public Record Office.

  29. 29.

    Consul Nanking, A telegram to the British Embassy in Shanghai, January 15, 1938, ADM116/3882, Yangtze Records, Public Record Office.

  30. 30.

    Senior Naval Officer, Nanking, A telegram to Rear Admiral, Yangtze, January 14, 1938, ADM116/3882, Yangtze Records, Public Record Office.

  31. 31.

    Consul at Nanking, A telegram to the British Embassy, January 21, 1938, ADM116/ 3882, Yangtze Records, Public Record Office.

  32. 32.

    R. G. Howe, No. 128 telegram, January 22, 1938, FO 371/22085, Public Record Office.

  33. 33.

    R. G. Howe, No. 220 telegram to the Foreign Office, February 1, 1938, File 1371, FO 371/22146, Public Record Office.

  34. 34.

    Ernest William Jeffery, No. 54 telegram, February 18, 1938 in R. G. Howe’s No. 348 telegram, February 20, 1938, ADM 116/3941, Sino-Japanese Hostilities, Japanese Restrictions on Navigation on the Yangtze, 1937–39, Public Record Office.

  35. 35.

    E. W. Jeffery, “Report on Conditions at Nanking dated May 3rd, 1938,” File 7116, FO371/22155, Public Record Office.

  36. 36.

    W. W. Ritchie, Claim letter to E. W. Jeffery, March 18, 1938, in E. W. Jeffery’s letter to British Ambassador Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, May 16, 1938, FO233/271, PRO.

  37. 37.

    Herbert Phillips, “Claims Arising out of Sino-Japanese Hostilities: Cases in Nanking Consular district,” October 12, 1938, FO233/272, Public Record Office.

  38. 38.

    “Tokyo Peace Move Reported in Paris,” NYT, October 29, 1937, p. 2.

  39. 39.

    James T. C. Liu, “German mediation in the Sino-Japanese War, 1937–38,” Far Eastern Quarterly, 8, No.2, (Feb. 1949): 160–161.

  40. 40.

    R. John Pritchard and Sonia Magbanua Zaide, The Tokyo War Crimes Trial, Vol. 2, Transcripts of the Tribunal, pp. 3619-3621.

  41. 41.

    Georg Rosen, “Odyssee der Dienststelle in Nanking (The Odyssey of Nanjing Office),” Dec. 24, 1937, p. 9, Auswärtige Amt (Foreign Office) Doc No. 2722/ 8432/37, Bundesarchiv (Federal Archives) Doc. No. BA-R9208/2208/ p. 257, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Office Political Archives), Berlin.

  42. 42.

    The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Mausoleum at the foot of Purple Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing, and the area was also known to Westerners as the National Park.

  43. 43.

    Consul Nanking, A telegram to the British Embassy in Shanghai, Jan. 15, 1938, ADM 116/3882, Yangtze Records, Public Record Office, London.

  44. 44.

    Georg Rosen, “Zustände in Nanking. Japanische Greuel (Conditions in Nanjing, Japanese Horror),” Jan. 15, 1938, pp. 1–2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1001/38, Bundesarchiv No. BA-R9208/2208/ pp. 220–221, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  45. 45.

    Georg Rosen, “Nanking Uebergang (Transition of Nanjing),” Jan. 20, 1938, pp. 2–3, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1011/38, Bundesarchiv No. BA-R9208/2208/ pp. 204–205, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  46. 46.

    Georg Rosen, “Schwierigkeiten der autonomen Regierungskommission. Immer neue Ge-walttaten der Japaner (Difficulties of the Self-Government Committee. Always new Japa-nese violence),” Feb. 1, 1938, pp. 1–2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1076/38, BA-R9208/ 2208/ pp. 190–191, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  47. 47.

    Georg Rosen, “Empfang beim japanischen Garnison-kommandanten, Generalmajor Amaya. Erstaunliche Rede (Reception by the Japanese Garrison Commander, Major General Amaya. Amazing Speech),” Feb. 7, 1938, pp. 1–2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1096 /38, BA-R9208/2208/ p. 166–167), Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  48. 48.

    Georg Rosen, “Filmdokument zu der Greueltaten japanischer Truppen in Nanking (Documentary Film of the Atrocities Committed by Japanese troops in Nanjing),” Feb. 10, 1938, pp. 1–2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1113/38, Bundesarchiv No. BA-R9208/2208/ pp. 138–139, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  49. 49.

    “Lage in Nanking (Conditions in Nanjing),” March 4, 1938, p. 1, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1896/38, BA-R9208/2208/ p. 107, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  50. 50.

    Renate Scharffenberg, “Mein Vater Paul Scharffenberg: Ein Leben im diplomatischen Dienst in China (My Father Paul Scharffenberg: A life in diplomatic service in China),” StuDeO-Info, April 2008, p. 18.

  51. 51.

    “Waichiaopu” is the old transliteration of the Chinese characters, 外交部(Foreign Ministry). It refers to the Red Cross Hospital John Magee had established in the building of the Foreign Ministry.

  52. 52.

    Paul Scharffenberg, “Lage in Nanking am 13. Januar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, January 13, 1938), enclosure to Oskar Paul Trautmann’s No. 67 report, “Lage in Nanking Mitte Januar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, mid-January 1938),” Feb. 1, 1938, p. 2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1612/38, BA-R9208/2190/ pp. 84–86, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  53. 53.

    “Futze Miao” is the old transliteration for the Chinese characters, 夫子廟, which means “Confucius Temple.” It usually refers to the area around Confucius Temple.

  54. 54.

    Paul Scharffenberg, “Die Lage in Nanking am 20. Januar 1938 (The Conditions in Nanjing, January 20, 1938), enclosure to Trautmann’s No. 76 report, “Lage in Nanking im Januar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, Jan. 1938),” Feb. 7, 1938, pp. 1–3, Auswärtige Amt No. 2718/1715/38, R104842, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  55. 55.

    Paul Scharffenberg, “Die Lage in Nanking am 28. Januar 1938 (The Conditions in Nanjing, Jan. 28, 1938), enclosure to Trautmann’s No. 95 report, “Lage in Nanking Ende Januar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, End January 1938),” Feb. 10, 1938, p. 2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2718/1811/38, R104842, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  56. 56.

    Paul Scharffenberg, “Lage in Nanking am 3. Februar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, February 3, 1938), an enclosure to Trautmann’s No. 132 report, “Lage in Nanking in der ersten Halfte Februar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, the First Half of February 1938),” Feb. 23, 1938, p. 2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2718/2081/38, R104842, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  57. 57.

    Paul Scharffenberg, “Die Lage in Nanking am 10. Februar 1938 (The Conditions in Nanjing, Feb. 10, 1938), an enclosure to Trautmann’s No. 132 report, “Lage in Nanking in der ersten Halfte Februar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, the First Half of February 1938),” Feb. 23, 1938, p. 3, Auswärtige Amt No. 2718/2081/38, R104842.

  58. 58.

    Paul Scharffenberg, “Zur Lage in Nanking am 17. Februar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, February 17, 1938), enclosure to Trautmann’s No. 148 report, “Lage in Nanking Mitte Februar 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, Mid-February 1938),” February 28, 1938, pp. 1–2, Auswärtige Amt Doc No. 2718/2174/38, R104842, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin.

  59. 59.

    Paul Scharffenberg, “Zur Lage in Nanking am 4. März 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, March 4, 1938), enclosure to Trautmann’s No. 216 report, “Lage in Nanking Anfang März 1938 (Conditions in Nanjing, Early March 1938),” March 22, 1938, p. 2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2718/ 2608/38, R104842, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  60. 60.

    “By Steele,” an enclosure to Hans Bidder’s dispatch to German Embassy at Hankou, “Blutbad unter der chinesischen Bevölkerung bei der Einnahme Nankings durch japanische Truppen, und in Nordchina (Bloodbath among the Chinese population when Japanese troops captured Nanjing, and in North China)” Dec. 30, 1937, pp. 2–5, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/4573/37, BA-R9208/2190/ pp. 212–215, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  61. 61.

    “Auszug aus den Vortrag von Mr. Smith (Reuters) Über die kriegerischen Ereignisse in Nanking in der Zeit von 9. Bis 15. Dezember 1937 (Except of the Speech by Mr. Smith (Reuters) on the events during the Nanjing Battles from Dec. 9 to 15, 1937),” enclosure to Trautmann’s report “Einnahme von Nanking. Plünderung durch japanische Truppen (The Fall of Nanjing. Plundering by Japanese Troops),” Jan. 6, 1938, pp. 5–6, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1105/38, BA-R9208/2208/ pp. 182–183), Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  62. 62.

    “Eingabe der Bauern Wang Yao-shan, 75 jahre alt, Mei Yo-san, 79 Jahre alt, Wang Yün-kui, 63 Jahre alt und Hsia Ming-feng, 54 Jahre alt, an die in der Kiangnan Zementfabrik bei Nanking weilenden deutschen und dänischen Herren vom 26. Januar 1938 (The petition presented on Jan. 26, 1938, by the farmers, Wang Yao-shan, 75, Mei Yo-san, 79, Wang Yün-kui, 63 and Hsia Ming-feng, 54, to the German and Danish gentlemen at Kiangnan cement factory near Nanking),” in the enclosure to Rosen’s report “Japanische Greueltaten in der Umgegend von Nanking (Japanese Atrocities in the Surrounding Area of Nanking),” Feb. 26, 1938, pp. 1–2, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1811/38, BA-R9208/ 2208/ pp. 114–115, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

  63. 63.

    “Eigabe der Vertreter der Flüchtlinge in dem Bezierk Shieh Shan Kiang Ning, Provinz Kiangsu an den deutschen Herrn Kun, dänischen Herrn Hsin und Herrn Ma (The petition presented by refugee representatives of She Shan District, Jiangning County, Jiangsu Province, to German Mr. Kun, Danish Mr. Hsin and Mr. Ma),” in the enclosure to Rosen’s report “Japanische Greueltaten in der Umgegend von Nanking. (Japanese Atrocities in the Surrounding Area of Nanking),” Feb. 26, 1938, Auswärtige Amt No. 2722/1811/38, BA-R9208/2208/ pp. 116–120, Peking II, Politisches Archiv, Auswärtiges Amt.

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  1. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Suping Lu

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Lu, S. (2019). American, British, and German Diplomatic Documents. In: The 1937 – 1938 Nanjing Atrocities. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9656-4_10

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