740.0011 P.W./3–145
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Chinese Affairs (Chase)
The attached despatch (Sian’s 13813) describes a reported reorganization of the puppet forces mainly of interest to the War Department and not requiring your perusal.
The following salient points may be mentioned:
- (1)
- The information indicates that the north China puppet forces constitute a separate military organization independent of the Nanking “National Government”.14
- (2)
- Forces subject to the Nanking “National Government” are alleged to number 1,350,000 men. North China forces independent of Nanking number some “tens of divisions” (i. e., apparently several hundred thousand men).
Comment: While, as Mr. Rice indicates, these figures may represent substantial exaggerations, there is food for thought in (1) the fact that there are large bodies of armed Chinese accustomed to collaborate with the Japanese and presumably more or less habituated to Japanese equipment and methods; and (2) the probability that the bulk of these forces will in due course go over to Chungking or Yenan, as deserters or prisoners, and form an important part of China’s future armies.
[Page 80]- (3)
- General Peng Ping-hsün, whose “capture by” (or defection to) the Japanese two years ago has been so scathingly denounced by the Communists, is reported to be in nominal command of a puppet army at Kaifeng, Honan.