793.94/15890: Telegram
The Consul General at Hong Kong (Southard) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 1—9:02 a.m.]
169. Rumors always current here of Japanese naval and military concentration in the Hainan Island area have been accentuated during recent days. In seeking confirmation I learned last night that several large Japanese troop transports were seen by reliable observers approaching Hainan on the night of May 26.
Unconfirmed reports estimate that Japanese troops now on Hainan exceed 150,000.
Best informed Hong Kong opinion is that Japanese naval and military forces concentrating in the Hainan area are in preparation for [Page 23] possible movement against Indo-China44 or the Dutch Indies or both depending on developments in Europe.
Usually reliable sources here say that a Japanese naval conference of importance took place recently in Canton and that it included representatives from Hainan and other areas.
Repeated to Chungking, Canton and Peiping for Tokyo.
- In despatch No. 97, June 2, received June 27, the Consul at Hanoi reported growing apprehension among Chinese residents in French Indochina that the Japanese were about to attack Indochina, using Hainan Island as a base (793.94/15990).↩