793.94/2101: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
763. Following from Hanson [and] Salisbury:
“October 12, noon. Following is a gist of the information contained in a letter dated October 8th, 1931, addressed to Hanson at Kuanchengtze by Consul General Myers of Mukden:
1. With respect to civil administration in the Chinese areas of Mukden, there now exists a civil municipal government with a Japanese mayor (Doihara) and Japanese chiefs of the various major departments and bureaus, including police department. During past week approximately 1,500 Chinese police have been put into service by this municipal government. Japanese military police authorities and gendarmes however still might be considered effective police weapon of the municipal area. The extent to which Japanese control makes itself felt is shown by the fact that the special delegate of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Chinese) must obtain Japanese approval prior to issuing visas for foreign passports.
A return to the status quo ante in the Mukden municipality is certainly not an immediate possibility.
2. Complete withdrawal of the Japanese soldiers to the railway zone at this time with conditions as unsettled as they are would not only jeopardize lives and property of Japanese but also that of foreigners and Chinese. An effective Chinese municipal administration and police force must first be established. Armed robbery is common both within Mukden and in outlying areas. Chinese robbers and brigands are taking full advantage of the situation, some Chinese homes in the city have been completely cleaned out and the Mukden municipal Bank of Chosen was robbed of 80,000 yen according to an official report of Japanese military headquarters. Resentment against Japanese would without doubt make withdrawal of Japanese forces difficult. However, indiscriminate robbery and general insecurity, which would probably follow upon their withdrawal unless an effective Chinese administration can be immediately established, which is most unlikely, seem to be major problem.
3. Mukden radio station has not been destroyed, and Japanese Consul General has declared that whatever damage plant may have suffered is only minor and that service might be resumed without difficulty. Consul Vincent visited transmitting station and central control office.
4. He found a former Chinese watchman who stated that, although there had been considerable petty thievery, equipment had not been damaged. It was observed however that one large cable had been cut; at latter place he found detachment of Japanese soldiers billeted and was informed that it was impossible to transmit messages. Replies of the Japanese Consul General to representations of the Mukden Consulate General concerning resumption of service has so far elicited [Page 187] Nanking [merely?] a statement to the effect that matter is under consideration by the military authorities.[”]
- Telegram in three sections.↩