793.94/6962: Telegram
The Second Secretary of Legation in China (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 25—4 a.m.]
83. 1. A vice head of a Government Ministry who is Cantonese has informed me that the present apparent dilatoriness of the Japanese in pushing their program to aid the Chinese Government had given the latter an opportunity to make progress toward an effective rapprochement with the Southwest and has given the Canton party time to realize that it must cooperate with Nanking for its own sake as well as for the sake of the rest of China. Hu Han-min, he stated, is really a dying man, and can no longer be considered a protagonist of great importance.
2. Informant stated that the Chinese Government is at present [tending?] to the belief that the Japanese will not make any further definite moves until some time in the coming summer after the Kweichow-Szechuan situation is liquidated and Chiang Kai-shek takes up summer residence at Kuling. The Japanese, he indicated, have not so far made any actual demands; they have merely “mentioned” their desires and something more officially articulate can surely be expected before the summer passes.
3. There is undoubtedly a lull in Japanese-Chinese conversations which gives appearance of protraction and, while a head of the same Ministry recently remarked that the situation had reached a “deadlock”, it would probably be more accurate to say that the Chinese are delaying action in respect to desires and the Japanese are exercising patience and marking time.