793.94/7067
The Consul at Dairen (Grummon) to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)46
Sir: I have the honor to report that Colonel Takashi Sakai, chief-of-staff of the Japanese garrison in North China arrived yesterday morning at Dairen en route to his post at Tientsin, and made a long press statement regarding present relations between Japan and China. The following extracts therefrom may be of interest to the Embassy in view of the recent report that the Japanese Foreign Office has decided to raise the Legation at Peiping to the rank of an Embassy as well as of reports that the military is opposed to such a change:
“The present North China situation should cause neither jubilation nor any anxiety. It is gradually improving from the Japanese viewpoint, but no rapid and drastic change in the pending Sino-Japanese relations could be confidently expected until all the vicious anti-Japanese agencies in China are exterminated, and the Nanking leaders have a thorough cleansing of their hearts, and cease indulging in the rainbow hope of an active Occidental coalition against Japan. The situation requires patience and vigilance on our part; the time and the logic of events are in our favor.
[Page 168]“I went to Tokyo primarily to attend the annual conference of the chiefs-of-staff of the entire Japanese army,” explained Col. Sakai, “But I also met while there number of eminent military and civilian dignitaries of the Imperial government. It was rather strange to hear some responsible officials there accepting almost at face value the recent pro-Japanese statements of the Nanking emissaries. Some Japanese industrialists and traders, interested in Chinese trade, who should know better, were also inclined to dance to the Nanking music of feigned friendship.
“The general public in Manchuria and abroad should keep in mind the fact that occasional disorders, kidnappings, and murders of traders, editors and officials are normal events in China, and should not place undue importance to such affairs. China has been a disorderly land for ages; the present era is really no worse than many previous epochs in that country.
“The recent murders of two Chinese editors in Tientsin were given undue importance in newspapers. The murdered men were persons of no importance, and China has plenty of assassins for hire.
“I can assure you that there is no conflict of views between the war and foreign ministries in Tokyo. There may have been minor differences of opinions between certain officials of the two ministries. But the cardinal policies of the war and foreign ministries are cooperative and harmonious, specially in regard to China.
“The Tokyo official circles are well aware that the present Nanking government is honeycombed with anti-Japanese influences and agencies. From Chiang Kai-shek down there are many anti-Japanese politicians, generals and agitators holding prominent posts in the Nanking government. Probably, nothing short of the inexorable course of events will change their minds. That takes some years.
“Viewed from a larger prospect of history the Manchuria Incident and its aftermath, meaning the present Sino-Japanese relations, are simply a natural and belated result of the Russo-Japanese war. That has complicated the position of Japan in Manchuria and China. The complicated situation was allowed to drift for nearly 30 years, until the events of September, 1931, brought it to a climax. We are now witnessing the gradual and natural settlement of that explosive climax.
“So there is nothing to warrant anxiety nor fear on the part of the Japanese people. They should face the Chinese situation with confidence and calm. We have the power to tide over the crisis, started four years ago and now settling favorably.”
The Manchuria Daily News of last night carried an editorial regarding the projected change in status of the Legation at Peiping stating “that Great Britain, United States and France which have considerable interests and rights in China have not yet deemed it fit to raise their respective legations in China to the status of embassies. Only Italy has raised the Italian legation in China to an embassy, but in reality the result is nothing to boast about.”
[Here follows further quotation of the editorial.]
Respectfully yours,
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Consul without covering despatch; received June 17.↩