693.002 Manchuria/181: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 12—6:46 a.m.]
796. Department’s 201, July 8, 6 p.m. I consider statement in penultimate paragraph of my telegram 748, June 30, 2 p.m., as a serious threat and I believe it likely to be carried out.
All of the information coming from Mukden and other points in Manchuria of recent date which has been repeated from time to time to the Department indicates that the authorities there are consistently making every effort to take over into their hands the control of the customs.
The young Japanese who have joined the Manchurian government such as Ohashi and Komai apparently sincerely believe that they can establish a strong independent government in Manchuria, independent of Japan as well as of China but sympathetic with Japan [Page 137] and capable under their leadership of doing Japan’s work in that area and that they must have control over the customs if they are going to succeed. I believe that they will leave no stone unturned to gain this control.
The young Japanese mentioned above fear annexation of Manchuria by Japan as being dangerous to Japan on account of its sheer magnitude. They feel I think sincerely that annexation will mean Japan’s ruin but I am personally convinced that the logic of events leads inevitably to annexation with all that it means.
Repeated to Tokyo by mail.