893.00 Nanking/4: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State

41. At interview with Minister for Foreign Affairs this afternoon he stated that the occurrences at Nanking had not caused the Japanese Government to change its Chinese policy and the Japanese Government did not at this time consider it necessary or advisable to send troops to China. The Minister for Foreign Affairs Relieved that Chiang Kai-shek was strongly opposed to these outrages upon foreigners and would exert his utmost efforts to suppress them and maintain order; that he believed the outrages at Nanking were caused by the radicals among the Cantonese who were trying to discredit Chiang Kai-shek; that the Japanese had advised Chiang Kai-shek that his future and the future of the Cantonese Government depended upon the maintenance of order and that [the?] suppression of these outrages and if order was [not?] maintained it would mean an end both of Chiang Kai-shek and of the Cantonese Government. The Minister for Foreign Affairs believing that Chiang Kai-shek would be both willing and able to maintain order, thought it would be a mistake for any of the powers to take oppressive measures at the present time as this would merely assist the enemies of Chiang Kai-shek and enable the radicals amongst the Cantonese to get control of the Cantonese Government and army. The Minister for Foreign Affairs believed that the outrages at Nanking were committed partly by the Cantonese and partly by the Shantung defeated army but insofar as they were due to the Cantonese soldiers they were instigated by the radicals among the Cantonese who are aiming at the destruction of Chiang Kai-shek.

MacVeagh