793.94/1790: Telegram

The Minister in China ( Johnson ) to the Secretary of State

578. Referring to Mukden’s despatch 440, August 20 re Nakamura, Agent and Consul General [of Japanese General Staff?], the following is essential portion of a further report dated September 10th:

“There is good reason to believe that internal Japanese politics are more responsible for the present threatening aspect of Sino-Japanese relations than anything that the Chinese have done or left undone with respect to the case. It is my opinion that relations between Japanese Army and the Japanese Foreign Office (representing non-Army elements in the Government) are as much strained just now as relations between China and Japan, and that the Army authorities are quite as willing to have the negotiations fail as the Foreign Office is anxious to have them succeed. The report of the first Chinese group of investigators having been wholly unsatisfactory, a second and more capable group was sent out on September 6th. That group simply reported that their investigations failed to disclose any evidence to [in] support of the Japanese statement. It was shown, however, that their investigations were anything but thorough. Despite insistence from Japanese Army quarters for a prompt settlement, Consul General Hayashi informs me that no definite time limit has been set with respect to a reply from the Chinese. The situation is not believed to be as critical as intimated in the press, although further evidence of procrastination or insincerity on the part of the Chinese will make it extremely difficult to avoid a Japanese military display in Manchuria. It has been impossible to obtain information concerning the sanction or sanctions which might be applied in the event of a breakdown of negotiations.”

The Nakamura case has for several weeks been causing much excitement and while the Legation does not share the alarmist views of many of the newspapers it must be remembered the Sino-Japanese relations since the Korean riots6 have been anything but friendly. Any incident if not carefully handled by both parties may therefore produce a serious crisis. The Legation believes that the Manchurian authorities and probably also Japanese would prefer to settle the case locally through the Japanese Consul General in Mukden rather than through protracted negotiations between Nanking and Tokyo. Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang7 is said to be personally sincerely desirous of effecting such local settlement and to that end has designated his [Page 5] adviser Tang Erh-ho to represent him in the negotiations. But if current reports be true that the Japanese military are impatient and are urging the occupation of large portion of Manchuria pending settlement of the case it may prove extremely difficult to restrain existing anti-Japanese feeling.

Tokyo informed.

Johnson
  1. For summary of the Wanpaoshan incident in Manchuria and the anti-Chinese riots in Korea, see League of Nations, Appeal by the Chinese Government, Report of the Commission of Enquiry, pp. 61 ff.
  2. Vice commander in chief of the Chinese National Army, Navy, and Air Forces; commander in chief of the Northeastern Frontier Army; and chairman of the Political Council of the four Northeastern Provinces.