793.94/5506: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 31—11 a.m.]
1043. My 1016, August 27, 9 a.m.,34 and preceding telegrams on the subject Japanese Legation guard. Two or three days ago Japanese sentry at gate of Japanese Legation guard opposite British Legation ordered two members off path outside Japanese Legation guard. British commandant called on Japanese guard to protest, was told to leave ricksha outside and report guardhouse with request for interview. Yesterday Colonel Aihara and Captain Watanabe called on British [Page 215] commandant to apologize and in course of conversation made following interesting statements which I report as indicating ideas current in local Japanese military minds: that there could be no peace in North China while the Chinese Army were occupying positions inside borders of the new state, i.e., in Jehol, as owing to their presence, arms and men expenditure [sent?] into Manchukuo.
In order to rid the borders of Manchukuo of these troops it was necessary to crush Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang if he did not depart.
He also stated that Manchukuo would quite possibly demand that all Chinese troops be withdrawn south of the Yellow River and the country so vacated be policed by the Chinese police and Manchukuo troops.
On British commandant’s pointing out that Manchukuo troops would hardly be capable of carrying out this task Colonel Aihara stated that he considered troops and expenditures might be as easily lent to assist in this as hired to take part in cinema films; that America was selling airplanes to China so why should not Japan lend or hire airplanes and men to Manchukuo.
He also went on to state that he did not see why Japanese should not influence Manchukuo to establish the Young Emperor in Peiping and eventually as ruler over the whole of China thus making all these a better place for foreigners to live and trade in.
He blamed the Kuomintang government for the present situation in China as he alleged it to be a “puppet” of Soviet Russia and less desirable than the new state supported by Japan.
He kept on making a point that in the event of trouble being likely in Peiping good might be done by a demonstration in force of a combined march of all the Legation guards through the city with bugles sounding and bands playing. He also went on to state that he considered that the defence of the Legation quarter would quite possibly be better carried out by active operations in the beginning than by passive defence of manning the walls of the Legation quarters.