703.94/6099: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 27—3:10 a.m.]
278. Situation here and on all fronts remains unchanged. Chiang Kai-shek visited Peiping and had conferences with local military on the 24th and proceeded to Nanking arriving there Sunday78 where he had conferences, one of the results of which according to Reuters agency has been the resumption of duties by Wang Ching-wei. It is reported that Wang Ching-wei will come north to inspect military positions shortly.
There is no evidence in any information which either I or the Military Attaché have been able to obtain to confirm reports of disagreement among Chinese military. All evidence points to cooperation [Page 255] among Chinese leaders for the purpose of resisting with all the power they possess any effort by Japanese to drive them from positions which they now hold some of which are north of the Wall at Lowenyu which lies between Kupeikow and Hsifengkow, and at Lengkow which lies between Hsifengkow and Chiumenkow. Chinese posts along Wall are being strengthened by troops which are arriving or have already arrived from the Yangtze Valley. There is no evidence to indicate that Chinese have or will negotiate directly or indirectly with the Japanese. Chinese appear to be convinced that Japanese will make efforts south of the Wall (see Tokyo’s 67, March 25, 2 p.m.) for they are busily engaged in transferring all objects of value from palaces and other places south by mail to Shanghai and Tientsin.
- March 26.↩