File No. 893.00/2396
[Untitled]
Peking, May 10, 1916, 9 p.m.
Referring to previous correspondence of the American Consul, Tsingtau. Revolutionary force of thousand armed men, including many Japanese, was landed at Weihsien May 4 from Tsingtau by a [Page 80] special train and attacked the city which is reported taken. Revolutionary forces drilled quite openly at Tsingtau. Protection and aid by Japanese forces reported. Japanese controlling railway; however, refused to carry Chinese force from Tsingtau on the ground that neutrality must be maintained.
Chinese Government has protested to Japanese Legation and Foreign Office but received answer that armed men carried on railway must have been well disguised and that any military forces concerned in this matter acted entirely on their own responsibility.
Looting is reported in places along Shantung Railway. At Tsingtau, beginning May 3, continuous terrorizing through bomb throwing and incendiary fires in which also Japanese were involved. A suspicious circumstance is that many of these attacks were made near Japanese quarters supposedly to facilitate intervention and claims for damages.