032 Kung, H. H./2
The Minister in China (Johnson) to
the Secretary of State
No. 1546
Peiping, May 24, 1932.
[Received June
18.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a
memorandum of conversations Lieutenant-Colonel Drysdale, American Military Attaché,
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had in Nanking on May 18,
1932, with Dr. H. H.
Kung and with General Chiang Kai-shek.
It appears from these conversations that Dr. Kung is about to proceed to
the United States on a special mission, ostensibly of an economic nature
but in reality with a political object in view. Dr. Kung was of the opinion that
sooner or later the United States would be compelled to make war on
Japan, whether they desired to do so or not. He therefore felt that
steps should be taken towards an understanding between China and the
United States regarding military assistance during the present and
future emergencies. In this connection Dr. Kung suggested, as he had
done before, that the American Government furnish to China military
supplies on credit.
General Chiang Kai-shek
asked Lieutenant-Colonel
Drysdale whether he had any suggestions for the
improvement of the Chinese national defense. After the Military Attaché
had replied in a more or less general way, that it was necessary to
strengthen in the Chinese people the will to defend their country, and
that the development of an efficient air force would perhaps be the
simplest and least expensive form of defense, General Chiang Kai-shek—evidently
having in mind the conversation Dr. Kung had had with Lieutenant-Colonel
Drysdale—requested the latter to tell me that he (General
Chiang) would be
glad to come to Peiping to discuss the matter further with me if I so
desired.
In this connection I have the honor to refer the Department to the first
enclosure in my un-numbered despatch from Shanghai of March 23, 1932,
consisting of a memorandum of a conversation I myself have had with Dr.
Kung on February
29th,28 and I
enclose my own observations, in the form of a memorandum dated May 24,
1932, regarding the above mentioned conversations. I feel that many
Chinese officials believe that war between the United States and Japan
is inevitable and that China and the United States are therefore natural
allies.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure 1]
Memorandum by the Consul General at Nanking
(Peck)
Colonel Drysdale,
U.S.A., American Military Attaché, called on Dr. H. H. Kung at 3:30. This
call was made in compliance with a suggestion from Mr. T. V. Soong, Minister of
Finance, given to Colonel
Drysdale before the latter left Shanghai.
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The background of the conversation was dominated by the fact that
General Chiang
Kai-shek and Mr. T. V. Soong are urging
Dr. H. H. Kung to
proceed at once to the United States on a special mission.
Ostensibly this mission will be of an economic nature, but the
actual object seems to be to promote an entente between China and
the United States with a view to obtaining for China assistance in
military matters, particularly supplies, during the present and
future similar emergencies. On May 14 Dr. Kung had called upon Mr.
Peck to discuss this projected journey to
the United States and had expressed the opinion that in view of the
approaching summer holidays and the Presidential campaign in the
United States, it would be well for him to defer his departure until
November.
In conversing with Colonel
Drysdale, Dr. Kung expressed the opinion in plain terms that the
United States would have to fight Japan in the not distant future.
When Colonel
Drysdale pointed out various compelling reasons
tending to show that such a war is very improbable, Dr. Kung insisted that
Japan, in her present mental state, would force war upon the United
States, even though the latter might desire to avoid it.
With this opinion as a premise Dr. Kung inquired whether
there were not among official leaders in the United States persons
who would see the advantage of assisting China in a practical way to
resist Japan at the present moment. Dr. Kung reverted to the
idea which he had expressed to Mr. Peck at an
earlier interview, namely that it would be a wise step for the
American Government to furnish military supplies to China on credit.
Colonel
Drysdale explained some of the difficulties,
pertaining to law and policy, which would prevent this.
Dr. Kung did not
seem to be noticeably dissuaded from his view that the United States
must soon fight Japan and that the United States would be well
advised to strengthen China’s power of resistance to Japan, as a
preliminary to that conflict.
At 5:30 p.m. Colonel
Drysdale had a conversation with General Chiang Kai-shek, Chairman
of the Military Affairs Committee. During part of the conversation
Madam Chiang
Kai-shek was present and interpreted. Mrs.
Peck, likewise, was present. During the
latter part of the conversation Dr. Kung was present and
interpreted.
Following his usual practice, General Chiang made very few
statements, but he did ask questions which showed the direction in
which his mind was working. At the very outset he asked Colonel Drysdale,
rather abruptly, whether Colonel Drysdale could make any contribution, in the
shape of advice, to the improvement of the National Defence of
China. The Military Attaché, somewhat taken aback by the suddenness
and wide scope of this question, generalized on the
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necessity of inculcating and
strengthening in the Chinese people the will to defend the country
against armed aggression. He observed that the Chinese Army had
already demonstrated that under pressure of necessity it had the
will to fight. The only suggestion relating to an improvement in the
armed forces of China which Colonel Drysdale made consisted of his expressing
the opinion that China could develop the maximum defense with the
minimum expenditure of time and money by developing an air force. He
said that he believed that it would be more feasible for China to
create an air force which would be capable of coping with any air
force in Asia, than it would be to achieve equality in Naval or land
forces. He suggested that it would be advisable for the Government’s
defense plans to be based on this idea.
Referring to the advantage which China must derive from the favorable
opinion of foreign nations, Colonel Drysdale suggested that it would be
advantageous if China were to formulate and announce its
determination to take such measures in Manchuria, after that area
should have been returned to Chinese administration, as would
guarantee to Japan the fullest enjoyment of all her actual Treaty
rights in that area; but the statement might well announce,
simultaneously, that China is determined to resist any encroachment
on her sovereignty in violation of international agreements, such as
the Nine Power Treaty. Colonel Drysdale pointed out that the League of
Nations Commission would in all probability submit a report
requiring that China should ensure to Japan the enjoyment of all her
legally acquired rights in Manchuria, and that a policy and an
announcement such as he had just suggested would strike a favorable
chord throughout the world.
General Chiang ended
the conversation by a statement almost as startling as that with
which he had begun it. He asked Colonel Drysdale, after
he arrived in Peiping, to inform the American Minister of the
substance of the conversation which had just taken place and to tell
the American Minister, further, that he, General Chiang Kai-shek, would be
glad to come to Peiping to discuss the same subject with the
American Minister, if Mr. Johnson so desired.
[Enclosure 2]
Memorandum by the Minister in China (Johnson)
In connection with these conversations which Colonel Drysdale had
with Dr. H. H.
Kung and General Chiang Kai-shek, I wish
to call
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attention to my
conversation with Dr. H. H.
Kung of February 29th of which a memorandum is in the
file.29
It will be noted that at that time Dr. Kung was much interested
in the idea of a war between the United States and Japan, in which
China would supply the man power. On that and all other occasions I
did what I could to discourage this idea among the Chinese. I am
convinced that there is reason to believe that this idea of war
between Japan and the United States in which the United States will
figure as the champion and savior of China is current among many
other Chinese occupying official positions, and I believe that this
idea is fostered by the writings and arguments of Mr. Thomas Millard.
