893.00/12666
Memorandum by the Minister in China (Johnson)93
| Conversation with: | Lin Yun-koy,94 Marshal Ch’en Chi-t’ang, Commanding the First Group Army Corps; Liu Chi-wen, Mayor of the City of Canton; T’ang Shao-yi, Member of the Southwest Political Council. |
| Present: | Consul General Douglas Jenkins and Mr. Spiker.95 |
Subject: Domestic Politics.
By arrangement I went to call upon the above named Chinese this afternoon and in the course of a long conversation the question of the situation in Fukien arose. Marshal Ch’en stated that this morning a delegate from the authorities responsible for the newly organized government at Foochow had come seeking the support of Canton. He stated that he had asked the Fukien representative why the 19th Route Army and the other leaders responsible for the Fukien movement had made common cause with the Communists and the Japanese, both enemies of China. He said that the delegate could make no proper reply to this question but he had decided to remain in Canton and not return to Foochow. He expressed the opinion that the delegate from Fukien had reached the conclusion that the Fukien movement was not a worthy movement.
Mr. T’ang Shao-yi was asked what evidence the authorities at Canton had that the Fukienese were intriguing with the Japanese. He replied that they had evidence which seemed to convince them of this. He referred to General Chen Chiung-ming, who died at Hongkong about a month ago, and said it was positively known to them that sometime ago the Japanese had approached General Chen and had offered him a million dollars if he would start a revolt [Page 470] against General Chiang Kai-shek. Mr. T’ang stated that General Chen had told the Japanese that he did not want their money; that if the Japanese would restore Manchuria to China he would start a revolt against General Chiang Kai-shek without money. Mr. T’ang stated that it was known to them that General Chen Ming-shu, former head of the 19th Route Army, had taken up and carried on this intrigue with the Japanese which had been begun by General Chen Chiung-ming. Mr. T’ang stated that the responsible Japanese in this intrigue was General Matsui, Governor General of Formosa, who was known to have been interested in the possibility of the Japanese taking action in Fukien and utilizing the Formosan Chinese in the movement. He stated that there were 20,000 Formosan Chinese in Foochow and that this number had been added to in recent weeks, and that sufficient arms were stored in the Japanese Consulate to arm these Formosan Chinese for the creation of disturbances in Foochow.