893.00/13877: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 7—7 a.m.]
10. 1. The following information has been received from Edward Wingerter, American citizen attached to Chinese Government as aviation specialist who was in Sian during coup and who last departed Sian by airplane on January 4th: That the situation in Sian is worse now than at any time during the detention of Generalissimo; that General Yang Hu Cheng15 who is in control at Sian has turned Red and his troops are continuing to loot; that red flags and Communist literature are prominent there and Agnes Smedley, an American citizen, broadcasts nightly in pro-Communist and anti-religious vein; that a number of Russian advisers have arrived at Sian from Sin-kiang; that foreigners in Sian remain unharmed but are unable to leave by train or motor-car and it is doubtful if they could be evacuated by airplane which in any event would have to be arranged by Yang Hu Cheng; that he considers a military clash between central troops and Sian forces as inevitable in view of heavy movement westward of central troops and military supplies on Lunghai Railway; and that he believes it would be desirable, if possible, to evacuate foreigners from Sian since a clash there would expose them to great danger, especially from airplane bombing.
2. Substance of above communicated orally to Ambassador evening of January 6th.
Repeated to Peiping, copies by mail to Nanking and air mail to Hankow.
- Pacification Commissioner for Shensi and Kansu until the coup against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.↩