Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1936, The Far East, Volume IV

793.94/8258: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, October 14, 1936—11 a.m.
[Received October 14—7:37 a.m.]

300. My 298, October 9, 4 p.m.

1. Sino-Japanese situation remains calm and probability is that present lull will continue. Hsu Mo informs me that at yesterday’s preliminary conversation between Suma and Kao Tsung Wu, chief of the Asiatic Affairs section of the Foreign Office, the latter explained to Suma the Chinese attitude which he presumed Kawagoe was communicating to his Government and that now they were awaiting further approach from the Japanese.

2. Hsu Mo states that present negotiations differ radically from those which characterized the presentation of the twenty-one demands³⁵ in that whereas in that case the demands were specific in this case the Japanese have laid down general principles subject to diverse interpretations. He informed me that the Chinese had asked the Japanese to bring to them a detailed statement of their desires, explaining to me that certain of these general principles were on the surface innocuous. He said that there was no truth in published reports that the Japanese desired to station troops along the Yangtze or that the Japanese demanded the independence of North China. With reference to North China he said that the Japanese had merely asked the Central Government to give the local authorities a free hand in negotiations there but that the Chinese Government hesitated as it was unwilling to give blanket authority. He said that the Japanese had objected to the preponderance of European and American foreign advisers over Japanese advisers and that the Chinese Government in reply had indicated willingness to use Japanese advisers in technical lines if it were left free to hire and discharge Japanese at will as it had been free to do in the case of advisers of the other nationalities. Mr. Hsu expressed himself as feeling that the situation was dangerous as there was no leadership in Japan able to control ambitions of military who apparently were committed to a program intended to place China under the complete control of Japan.

3. In concluding our conversation Hsu Mo asked whether I had any information from the Department or from our Embassy at Tokyo in regard to our attitude in these matters. I said to Hsu Mo that our interest in conditions here in the East was crystal clear; that it had been amply covered and explained in times past and that there was no change in attitude now. I said we were deeply interested in developments and that I would be grateful to him if he could keep Mr. Peck and myself currently informed in order that we might adequately inform the American Government.

4. To the Department, copy to Peiping by hand of the Ambassador.

Johnson

35. See Foreign Relations, 1915, pp. 79 ff.