793.94/7450: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 29—10:55 a.m.]
186. There have occurred no important developments since the Embassy’s telegram 185, November 28, 4 p.m. With reference to Tokyo’s 223, November 28, 1 p.m., the office of the Military Attaché states definitely that the Japanese troops recently arrived at Peiping belong to the Kwantung Army. According to the New York Times correspondent who saw them detrain, at least a part of the troops recently arrived at Tientsin also belong to the Kwantung Army. And in today’s North China Star, the Japanese military headquarters spokesman at Tientsin is reported as referring to the newly arrived troops as belonging to the Kwantung Army. These new troops are evidently a part of those troops which were reported in the Embassy’s 151, November 16, noon, as arriving at Shanhaikwan from the north. The spokesman is further reported as saying that “there is no treaty restriction on the number of Japanese troops or troops of any other nation in North China.” The Embassy believes that at least the major part of the troops which have arrived in North China during the last few days belong to the Kwantung Army. Japanese military are reliably reported to be interfering with southbound freight traffic on Peiping-Hankow Railway at Fengtai Junction.
[Page 455]Japanese Assistant Military Attaché stated today that Doihara is seeing Sung frequently. It is reliably reported that Japanese pressure on Sung is severe.
Repeated to Nanking and Tokyo.