893.00/12645: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 16—7:37 a.m.]
41. The Vice Consul at Foochow reports January 15, 4 p.m., that he has been informed an agreement has been reached by which the Nineteenth Route Army continues to move southward, the Navy facilitating the movements by furnishing ferryboats for crossing from Nantai Island to south bank of river. He reports January 15, 7 p.m., that Nationalist forces are said to be up the Min River 10 miles from Foochow; that firing from that direction was audible during the afternoon of that day; and that according to the United States ship Tulsa at Pagoda Anchorage the Chinese steamer Hwaan arrived the 15th with 3,000 troops. He further reports that he has been reliably informed that Tsai Ting-kai55 had requested Admiral Sah Chen-ping to assume responsibility for local situation as Tsai was leaving Foochow on the 15th. According to American sources Tsai was seen outside of Foochow proceeding westward on horseback on the afternoon of the 15th.
- Chairman of the rebel government’s military affairs commission.↩