893J00/12541: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 28—3 a.m.]
879. Following telegram has been received from the Consul at Foochow:
“November 27, 4 p.m. Reports multiplying regarding disagreement between the Nineteenth Route Army leaders and the communistic politician element over the overthrow of the Kuomintang and the discarding of the Nationalist flag. George Hsu and Huang Chi-hsiang,98 it is reported maintain that these measures are essential in order that the Kiangsi communist leaders may be assured that the cooperation with the Nineteenth Route Army is sincere. It is reported that the new regime has informed the Japanese that the present movement is strictly anti-Chiang Kai-shek and not anti-Japanese, and that the anti-Japanese phase of it is for propaganda purposes. The anti-Japanese boycott has been suspended. My Japanese colleague informs me that he will be neutral. There are no Japanese naval vessels here. In this connection none of the foreign Consuls General has found it necessary to ask for naval protection.
The radical element has failed to gain control as yet of any one of the three important commissions in the Government, namely Cultural, Economic and Military. This element desires control of the Cultural Commission as this would give it the opportunity to disseminate propaganda.”
- Members, “People’s Government,” Foochow.↩