Office of the Historian

793.94/6988: Telegram

The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Peiping, May 31, 1935—4 p.m.
[Received May 31—3:58 p.m.]

230. Legation’s 227, May 30, 2 p.m. and 228, May 30, 8 p.m.

1.
A detachment of about 100 armed Japanese soldiers again “visited” the provisional [Provincial] Government headquarters at Tientsin yesterday and remained there about half an hour but did not enter the building. Same detachment “visited” Public Safety Bureau at Tientsin and another detachment proceeded to a point outside Japanese Concession, said to have been near Peiyang University and fired several rounds from trench mortars. These activities are unquestionably a part of Japanese plan either to force resignation of Yu Hsueh-chung or speed removal of provisional headquarters to Paotingfu. It is understood removal headquarters now proceeding.
2.
General Umetzu, commandant of troops in North China with headquarters at Tientsin, is now in Hsinking conferring with Japanese Minister of War Hayashi and with General Minami. Colonel Sakai only recently returned to Tientsin from a staff conference at Tokyo.
3.
From an authoritative source it is learned that a Japanese army officer of the rank of Colonel arrived 2 or 3 days ago by plane at headquarters of Teh Wang, General Secretary of Mongolian Autonomous Government, and demanded that health officer be removed from Pailingmiao [to?] Peihsingmiao, a point north of Dolonor and near Chahar-Jehol border. It is further stated Japanese officer demanded that Teh Wang install radio station at his headquarters and that he [accept?] special mission (possibly means adviser) at his headquarters. Teh Wang regarded matter of such urgency that he left for Peiping and arrived here today for conference with Ho Ying-chin.
4.
Government circles continue to be greatly perturbed by the developments of the past few days, the full import of which is not yet clear but a part of which is unmistakably a desire to remove Yu Hsuehchung as previously reported.

Repeated to Nanking by mail, to Tokyo and Tientsin.

For the Minister:
Lockhart