Evening star., 1941-07-31
Expression Of Regret
Merely Preliminary
WeIIes Declares

the United States today Tor the
bombing of the United States
gunboat Tutuila yesterday at
Chungking, Chinese capital, but
Acting Secretary of State Welles
said the expression of regret is
not a satisfactory reply to this
Governments representations.
Mr.. Welles said the apology de-
livered to American Ambassador
Joseph C. Grew in Toxic today was
merely a preliminary step and was
not considered a definite reply 10
the representations made by Mr..
Grew.
He refused to discuss the nature
OF the American representations or
to disclose just what was expected
of Japan in the matter, pending
further developments.
Deep Regret Expressed.
Mr.. Welles said Ambassador Grew
was instructed to make to the For
eign ONCE In Toxic the same rep
resentations that were made here
yesterday to Admiral Kichisaburo
Nomura, japanese Ambassador.
Before Mr.. Grew had time to call
at the Foreign Office, Mr.. Welles
said, he was visited by the Vice
Minister of Foreign Affairs, who
said the Japanese government had
no detailed information about the
bombing of the Tutuila. but never
theless expressed deep regret at the
incident.
Ambassador Grew subsequently
carried out his instructions. making
representations to the Japanese
Foreign Minister, Teijiro Toyoda,
and received a preliminary reply of
the same nature of expression Of
regret, Mr. Welles continued.
Full Reply Expected.
Until definite reply is received TO
this Governments representations,
Mr.. Welles added he could not
discuss the matter further.
In response to questions, however.
he said the impression was justified
that this Government does not con-
slider satisfactory the expressions
made so far by the japanese and
expects full reply to its representa-
tons. ...- ..
In Toxic the japanese Navy
Minister'S chief aide visited the
American naval attache. Comdr.
Henri Smith Hutton, to. express
regrets, -.. g..
Mr.. Grew was assured that the
Japanese armed forces everywhere
had been instructed to take the ut
most care that American property
not be damaged, a dispatch from
Toxic declared. .
The American Ambassador also
protested on three separate occa-
sions today to the Foreign Once
against telephone and cable censor
ship under which information on
the Tutuila incident was kept from
leaving Japan until after Mr.. Crews
meeting with Toyoda.
Gunboat in Safety Zone.
In first discussing the incident
yesterday, Mr.. Welles led reporters
to believe that any Japanese claim
that the bombing was mistake
would be rejected by this Govern
ment. He made a point of the fact
that the Tutuila was on the opposite
side of the sYangtze River from
Chungking proper, in so-called
safety zone, when it was damaged
by bombs falling near it from
Japanese raiding Chungking.
Bombs dropped by the Japanese
raiding planes also narrowly missed
the United States Embassy. No
casualties were reported, sbut the
Navy said the stern superstructure
of the Tutuila was damaged slightly.
Indications that Japan believed
the incident could be settled with
out further strain on Japanese
American relations were seen in the
fact that some of the United States
bound Japanese vessels, which had
remained at sea several days for
fear of being immobilized under the
order freezing Japan's assets here,
finally we're being sent into port.
Continued Japanese uneasiness
was evident, however in the plans
for quick turnabout of the ships
once they had discharged pas
sengers. The ships had official
assurance against seizure only under
present conditions"
, Cargoes to Be Frozen.
Mr.. Welles made clear today that
the japanese vessels had received
assurances that they could enter and
leave without discharging cargo, but
that If the cargo was discharged 1t
would be considered as frozen
Licenses for each individual trans
action would be required for disposal
of the cargo, he said.
Meanwhile, there was considerable
speculation here over the sig
nificance of a conference late yes
terday between President Roosevelt
and the men in charge Of this coun-
try's armed forces. The conference
took place after Mr., Welles called
Japan to account for the Tutuila
bombing, but there was no official
word on what was discussed at the
meeting attended by Gen. George C.
Marshall, Army Chief of Staff, and
Admiral Harold r. Stark, chief Of
naval operations.