793.94/2086
The Consul General at Nanking (Peck) to the Minister in China (Johnson)8
Nanking, September 12, 1931.
No. L-93
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegram
to the Legation of July 11, 1931, to the Legation’s instruction of July
28, 1931, and to other correspondence regarding the suspicion
entertained by the Chinese Government that the Japanese Government is
deliberately preparing the ground for military intervention in
Manchuria.
On September 10, 1931, I received a call from Dr. M. T. Z. Tyau, a
Counselor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chief of the Department
of Intelligence and Publicity, in relation to the same subject. Dr. Tyau
handed me an Aide-Mémoire, dated September 10,
1931, setting forth various indications of Japanese “provocations in
Manchuria in order to provide excuses for the use of force, as well as
an intensive propaganda campaign designed to blind the eyes of the world
to the facts of the situation”. He told me that similar statements had
been supplied to the British Legation in China and to the League of
Nations, through the Chinese representatives. The Aide-Mémoire handed to me for the American Legation was typed
on plain paper, bore no seal or other sign of its origin and was
enclosed in a “Waichiaopu” envelope which bore no address.
I have had a copy of this document made for the files of this office and
am enclosing the original and four copies, together with the envelope,
herewith. The matter has not been reported to the Department.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure]
The Chinese Ministry for
Foreign Affairs to the American
Consulate General at Nanking
Aide-Mémoire
The military clique in Japan has of late been clamoring for a drastic
policy towards China, particularly in, regard to Manchuria
[Page 6]
and Mongolia. At the Military
Commanders’ Conference the Minister of War publicly drew attention
to the possibility of what he termed grave developments in Manchuria
and Mongolia, and urged the necessity of preparedness. Such
preparedness, as interpreted in the light of recent events, seems to
consist of repeated provocations in Manchuria in order to provide
excuses for the use of force, as well as an intensive propaganda
campaign designed to blind the eyes of the world to the facts of the
situation. The following facts are illustrative of the present
developments in Japan’s policy towards China.
1) At the Military Commanders’ Conference on June 27, 1931, it was
decided to increase the Japanese forces in North Korea by two
divisions and to place the Japanese garrison in Manchuria on a
permanent basis.
2) Balked at the failure of Japanese colonization in Manchuria, Japan
has during recent years attempted to make use of Koreans in
colonizing the territory. The number of Korean immigrants in
Manchuria has almost reached a million, and under Japanese influence
as well as protection the Korean settlers have presented a grave
problem to the Chinese authorities in Manchuria. The Wanpaoshan
Affair affords a glaring example.
In March this year a large number of Korean farmers, acting under
Japanese encouragement as well as an illegal contract, forcibly
seized about 5,000 mow of Chinese land in Wanpaoshan, north of
Changchun, and constructed an irrigation canal, resulting in serious
damage to the Chinese farmers.
To make the matter worse, the Japanese Consul at Changchun despatched
a number of Japanese gendarmes to Wanpaoshan to protect such illegal
activities. Repeated protests from the local Chinese authorities
were flagrantly ignored. At the same time the Japanese
correspondents, playing on the mind of the ignorant Koreans,
indulged in a press campaign against China, alleging the grossest
maltreatment of Korean settlers in Manchuria. As a result of such
vicious misrepresentations, the Koreans were incited to an
unparalleled attack upon Chinese lives and property in Korea.
3) During July 3 to 12, 1931, approximately 150 Chinese residents
were murdered in Korea, 340 were injured and another 70 were found
missing. The losses directly and indirectly inflicted upon Chinese
property is estimated at no less than 3,000,000 yen. Although amply
warned against the possibility of such riots, the Japanese
authorities did not act in sufficient time to prevent them, nor were
effective measures taken to suppress the riots after they had
occurred.
4) During the weeks following August 4, 1931, the Japanese troops
staged manoeuvres in Hueining, Korea. On August 11, a party of 34
Japanese soldiers crossed over to Chinese territory and started
surveying
[Page 7]
for the construction
of bridges. On August 15 the Japanese troops mined the center of the
Tumen River, while two steam launches manned by Japanese soldiers
were seen patrolling the unmined portions of the river. On the same
day, a party of about 30 Japanese reservists again trespassed on
Chinese territory and there practised with their machine guns.
Nanking, September 10,
1931.
