793.94/6192: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 19—7:30 a.m.]
344. Mr. Tsai Yuan of Chinese military headquarters here gave me today two leaflets printed in simple vernacular Chinese on thin colored paper reading in translation as follows:
“China is now about to be exterminated by the White race. Japan is coming to save China.”
[Page 282]“Japanese and Chinese troops are all brothers of the Yellow race.”
Both leaflets bore following “signature”: “The first middle detachment of the fifth flying corps of the imperial army.”
He stated that these had been dropped eastward of Tungchow by Japanese airplanes. If authentic the tenor of these leaflets indicates a new line of propaganda on the part of the Japanese.
In this connection please note Tientsin’s April 18 [17], 3 p.m., which reports Japanese as describing forces now occupying towns between Lwanchow and Shanhaikwan as “anti-Chiang Kai-shek forces.” There is evidence here that the Japanese are putting into execution a plan to assist forces hostile to National Government authorities. Lockhart informed me over telephone today that Chinese commander in Lwanchow area was one who was prominent in disturbances at Tientsin in the winter of 1931.
Repeated to Tokyo.