793.94/2969: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 1—10 a.m.]
My November 24, midnight; and Department’s 120, November 25, 4 p.m., to Nanking.
Instructions contained in the Department’s 123, November 27, 1 p.m., to Nanking, have been transmitted to American Military Attaché at Chinchow.
I have just seen Koo who tells me that apparently there has been a misunderstanding in regard to the situation at Chinchow on the part [Page 606] of the Japanese. He states that the Japanese refused to accept the proposal of the Council of the League in regard to military observers and has so notified Briand. He informed me that the Japanese Minister called upon him yesterday and brought up the question of Chinchow, intimating that Japan had accepted tentative suggestion of Dr. Koo contained in my November 24, midnight, as a formal proposal and was demanding that Chinese now evacuate territory up to and inside of Great Wall at Shanhaikwan, Japan undertaking not to send troops into areas thus evacuated but reserving the right to despatch troops into such area or beyond in case of bandit activities or emergency.
[Paraphrase.] The misunderstanding seems to have arisen from the fact that the French Ambassador in Japan communicated to Tokyo the proposal as a formal one on the part of the Chinese. The situation at the moment is that the Council’s proposal has been accepted by the Chinese who have instructed their military at Chinchow to work along this line with the foreign military observers. The Japanese have not accepted the Council’s proposal, but they state they have accepted the Chinese proposal of November 24. The Japanese Minister informed Koo that if the Chinese refuse to abide by what he calls the November 24 proposal, the Japanese military will be incensed and a dangerous situation may again arise. The foregoing is for your confidential information. [End paraphrase.]