793.94/6284: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 17—7:10 a.m.]
According to a report to railway authorities Japanese occupied Tangshan this morning.
General Huang Fu arrived in Tientsin this morning after having stopped in Tsinanfu yesterday to confer with Han Fu-chu. It is understood Huang Fu will proceed to Peiping this afternoon. His arrival has aroused fresh hopes that an amicable adjustment or at least a better understanding may be arranged with the Japanese. Both Japanese and Chinese officials have privately expressed this view to me within the past few days. General Muto’s widely published statement concerning possibility of again withdrawing Japanese forces to the Wall if provocative activities of Chinese are discontinued has also aroused renewed hopes that a way may be found to prevent the occupation of Tientsin and Peiping. There has been considerable exodus of Chinese into the foreign concessions from native city for past 2 days.
U. S. S. Sacramento left today for Hsinho preparing to sail for Chefoo on May 22.