Regarding the incident of December 12th in which the United States gunboat Panay and three steamers belonging to the Standard Oil Company were sunk by the bombing of the Japanese naval aircraft on the Yangtze River at a point about twenty-six miles above Nanking, I had the honour, as soon as unofficial information of the incident was brought to my knowledge, to request Your Excellency to transmit to the Government of the United States the apologies of the Japanese Government. From the reports subsequently received from our representatives in China, it has been established that the Japanese naval air force, acting upon information that the Chinese troops fleeing from Nanking were going up the river in steamers, took off to pursue them, and discovered such vessels at the above-mentioned point. Due to poor visibility, however, the aircraft, although they descended to fairly low altitudes, were unable to discern any mark to show that any one of the vessels was an American ship or man-of-war. Consequently the United States gunboat Panay and the vessels of the Standard Oil Company, being taken for Chinese vessels carrying escaping Chinese troops, were bombed and sunk.
While it is clear that, in the light of the above circumstances, the present incident was entirely due to a mistake, the Japanese Government regrets most profoundly that it has caused damages to the United States man-of-war and ships and casualties among those on board, and desires to present hereby sincere apologies. The Japanese Government will make indemnifications for all losses and will deal appropriately with those responsible for the incident. Furthermore, it has already issued strict orders to the authorities on the spot with a view to preventing the recurrence of a similar incident.
The Japanese Government in the fervent hope that the friendly relations between Japan and the United States will not be affected
by this unfortunate affair, has frankly stated as above its sincere attitude, which I beg Your Excellency to make known to your Government.