793.94/3507: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
64. Following from American Consul General at Nanking:
“1. Eugene Chen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, went to Shanghai January 11, 11 a.m., and Yeh Kung-cho, Minister of Railways, January 11, 11 p.m. Yesterday afternoon Yeh informed W. H. Donald that Sun Fo, Eugene Chen and other members of the Government, now in Shanghai, are desperately attempting to devise some way to cope with the dangers threatening China and seem prepared to adopt any course of action no matter how ‘radical’, such as begging for assistance from the Soviet Government. At the railway station Yeh confirmed this to me.
2. The present Government has the double task of protecting the nation from the Japanese invasion and of maintaining its own existence. The Chinese seem to be convinced that the Japanese under the domination of the military party are now actually pushing their forces into Jehol and into the Tientsin area with Shantung as their goal. They seem to realize that war would certainly be disastrous and would only facilitate the Japanese conquest. They profess entire disbelief in Japanese promises of withdrawal from Manchuria and elsewhere. Internally the Government is confronted with maturing obligations incurred by the previous regime mainly for the support of military forces in the provinces. Having demanded and achieved the elimination of Chiang Kai-shek from the Government they now realize their inability to do without him. High dignitaries have been sent to implore Chiang, Wang Ching-wei and Hu Han-min to take up their posts. Several hundred Nanking students left Nanking last night for Shanghai with the same object in cars supplied gratis. It is difficult to see what material improvement in the Manchurian situation could be made by the three leaders who are now absent but Chinese popular opinion seems to be that their participation in the Government would counteract the separatist tendency prevalent throughout China. The feeling is that owing to economic destitution and communist intrigue complete chaos will ensue unless this tendency is checked.
In the face of these forebodings the only discernible ground for optimism is the inherent stability of the Chinese race which quality has enabled the nation to reestablish itself after similar crises in the past.
3. In regard to Chang Hsueh-liang the indications are that whereas the former regime had a sympathetic understanding with him the present Government has attempted to remove him but is now powerless to do so and will soon be begging for his assistance.
4. The identic note of January 7 has aroused among the Chinese [Page 26] gratitude for the friendship displayed but there is slight expectation that the aggressive policy attributed to Japan will be checked by the note.”
- Telegram in three sections.↩