793.94/6833: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 24—6:15 a.m.]
34. Legation’s 32, January 22, 4 p.m. According to Chinese official statement, either during or after withdrawal of Chinese troops from disputed area, in accordance with the demand of the Japanese military, Japanese planes flew on January 23 over the area in dispute and dropped a few bombs at a place where there were no Chinese troops causing no casualties. An official of the Japanese Legation states that Chinese soldiers attacked on January 22 some Japanese soldiers at a place southeast of Kuyuan and just east of the Great Wall causing minor casualties but that no information about occurrences of January 23 is yet available. However, Japanese Assistant Military Attaché states that Japanese military occupied Kuyuan January 23 a place which has never been officially claimed as within “Manchukuo” boundary and that two Japanese have been killed so far and six injured.
In view of conflicting and inadequate information, it is too soon to determine whether Japanese action is a prelude to additional enlargement of “Manchukuo” at the expense of Chahar or is an independent [Page 16] action of local Japanese military relating only to the disputed area lying between the Great Wall and the Jehol-Chahar boundary. The Legation, however, inclines toward the latter view.