793.94 Commission/180: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Acting Secretary of State
Peiping, April 22, 1932—5
p.m.
[Received April 22—7:48 a.m.]
[Received April 22—7:48 a.m.]
459. Following is brief summary of comment by General McCoy in the course of informal conversation.
- 1.
- Commission’s visit to the Yangtze Valley and North China, giving opportunity for general observation as well as the examination of [Page 713] important witnesses, has proved extremely valuable as a background for further investigations.
- 2.
- From various sources it appears that Chinese officials were well informed in advance as to probable Japanese action in Manchuria. Chinese Minister in Tokyo warned Foreign Office which in turn apprised Marshal Chang at that time in Peiping. To minimize possibility of warfare, Chang ordered that no resistance be made to Japanese movements.
- 3.
- So-called secret protocol to Treaty of 1905 regarding competing railways in Manchuria was examined both in Tokyo and Nanking. Japanese and Chinese texts are substantially identical, but the documents appear to be simply minutes of the meetings of the Treaty Commissioners.
For the Minister:
Perkins