893.04417/5
The Consul at Mukden (Myers) to the Minister in China (MacMurray)5
Sir: Having reference to my telegram of January 11th6 reporting the arrest and summary execution of Yang Yu-t’ing and Ch’ang Yinhuai because of their conspiracy against the Government, I have the [Page 124] honor to enclose herewith a translation of the circular telegram7 despatched on January 11th under the names of Chang Hsueh-liang, Chang Tso-hsiang, Wan Fu-ling, Chang Ching-hui, Chai Wen-hsuan, Liu Shang-ch’ing, Liu Che, Mo Te-huai, Wang Shu-ch’ang, Shen Hung-lieh, T’ang Yu-ling and Yuan Ching-k’ai to the Nanking Government and others in regard to this incident. The indictment is a lengthy one and probably most of the chargés are more or less true. They are chargéd with having prevented the evacuation of the districts between the Luan River and Shanhaikuan as well as having opposed the raising of the Nationalist flags and the return of the rolling stock. It is also stated that they used the arsenal and the communication facilities as the principal means of extending their private interests and that they expended $200,000,000 at their own discretion and without the sanction of high authority; that lately they formed parties and enlisted followers in pursuance of a plan that would jeopardize the country.
The circumstances of the arrest and execution of Yang Yu-t’ing and Ch’ang Yin-huai, which were given in my telegram, are generally correct as far as can be learned. As stated therein, General Chang Hsüeh-liang invited them to a conference when they were arrested and confronted with the charge of conspiracy against the Government. At the same time their residences were searched by Chang’s troops and before morning they were executed. What evidence was discovered in the search has not been disclosed but there is reason to believe that General Chang had, when the arrest was made, sufficient evidence in his possession to warrant, in his opinion, their summary execution. The conference of high officials, held on the following morning, January 11th, approved his action.
Eight other arrests of officials closely associated with the principal conspirators were made early on January 11th, including among others, Wang Chih-ling, Co-Director of the Arsenal, Shih Chih-huang, Chang Hsuan and Ku Chen, Director of the Peking-Mukden Railway. None of these has been executed but it is thought by persons in close touch with the situation that one or two others may later receive the death penalty.
The execution of Chang Hsueh-liang’s orders were carried out without a hitch and came as a complete surprise to everyone except possibly the small coterie of high officials who may have been consulted. Besides the search of the residences of Yang and Ch’ang and the disarming of their small bodyguards, troops from the Eastern Tombs disarmed the guards of the Arsenal without apparently any resistance and in the morning of January 11th the workmen returned to duty without realizing that a new regime was in control. Yang had no [Page 125] troops except the small Arsenal guard and Ch’ang’s small armed force is in Heilungkiang. No trouble from them is expected and in fact no unfavorable reaction to these executions is anticipated.
It is a matter of general knowledge that the relations between Chang Hsueh-liang and Yang Yu-t’ing had never been too cordial, but since the death of Chang Tso-lin they had outwardly been on friendly terms and Yang’s advice was frequently sought and given. His position as director of the arsenal, of which he had full control, and freedom from other duties placed him in an advantageous position for carrying out such secret plans as he doubtless had. Too, a large percentage of the officials throughout the province owed their positions to him directly or indirectly. Ch’ang Yin-huai’s control of all communication facilities, the Chinese railways, telegraphs, radio and telephone, in the Three Eastern Provinces through his position as directing head of the Communiciations Commission gave him and his chief much influence and placed a very effective weapon in their hands. Even the sending of the Wu Ching mission to Europe—later it was expected to go to the United States—whose members were composed entirely of Ch’ang’s followers is thought to have been part of the plot. Although the suspicious activities of these men and their growing power, referred to in my recent despatches, were probably noted by General Chang, the opinion is held by close observers that the existence of a definite plot to eliminate him and assume full control of the Government was only recently discovered and dictated the summary measures that were adopted. Henceforth, it is thought, General Chang will be credited with more decision than it has been commonly presumed that he possessed and will not be looked upon as a boy as both Yang and Ch’ang are supposed to have regarded him.
The press reports that Chang Hsueh-liang himself shot Yang Yu-t’ing are not given any credence whatever. Likewise, there is no reason to believe that these men were involved in the plot that caused the death of Marshal Chang Tso-lin. This latter report is likely to have had a Japanese origin.
It is reported in The Manchuria Daily News of January 12th that General Chang sent a private secretary to the Japanese Consulate General on the 11th to inform it that the execution of Yang and Ch’ang was strictly a domestic matter and had no international bearing. As stated in my telegram, some statement in connection with this matter was conveyed to that office.
Although possibly the circumstances of the case may tend to condone the summary execution of these men, nevertheless attention should be called to the fact that no formal trial of the accused was held. Some sort of an examination is reported to have occurred but it was doubtless not one in which the accused had any chance of putting up a defence, if any existed.
[Page 126]It is felt here by many that Yang and Ch’ang have been disturbing elements and that their elimination should tend to stabilize the internal political situation. General Chang’s own position has undoubtedly been greatly strengthened.
It is fully expected that all the principal officials of the Communications Commission, railways, telegraphs, etc., who were the nominees of Yang Yu-t’ing or Ch’ang Yin-huai, will be replaced. Already General Kao Chi-yi, head of the Police of Fengtien Province, has assumed charge of the Peking-Mukden Railway vice C. Ku, who is now under arrest. General Tsang Shih-yi and Chow Lien have been appointed Director and Co-Director of the Arsenal—General Tsang, it now appears, was not arrested as previously reported.
No marked change in the policy of the local Government vis-à-vis the Nanking Government is anticipated. It is expected that in spite of press reports to the contrary there is no intention of handing over control of Chinwangtao at present, although it has been planned for some time to withdraw the greater part of the Fengtien forces from inside the Great Wall. However, the return of the rolling stock now held in Manchuria may be hastened. As previously reported, the Fengtien party’s dominance in Jehol has been accepted by the Nanking Government.
I have [etc.]