793.94/7044: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:20 p.m.]
155. 1. The political Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs called me to the Foreign Office this morning. He stated that the situation in the North was very grave and full of danger, that the Legation and the Department had doubtless read considerable Japanese propaganda concerning it in the press and that he desired to tell me, not as Chinese propaganda, but by way of informing the American Minister and the American Government confidentially as to the facts of the matter. He said that the Chinese Minister in Washington had in addition been instructed to keep the Department informed.
[Page 240]2. The following is the substance of his oral statement which he presented in a somewhat confused form:
(1) On the afternoon of May 29 Takahashi, Assistant Military Attaché in Peiping, and Sakai, Chief of Staff of the Tientsin Japanese garrison, called on Ho Ying-chin and while they presented no demands they called Ho’s attention to the following two “considerations”: (1) that Peiping and Tientsin were being used as bases for activities directed against Japan and “Manchukuo”, and (2) the assassination of two Chinese editors in the Japanese concession May 3d was a provocative and antiforeign act in violation of the Tangku Truce and the Boxer Protocol and was committed by “Blue Shirts” of Chiang Kai-shek. (The Vice Minister stated emphatically that no such organization exists.) Sakai offered his personal opinion that Yu Hsueh-chung, Chairman of the Hopei Provincial Government, should be removed.
(2) On June 9 Takahashi and Sakai called again on Ho and orally presented the following demands: (1) that the Peiping and Tientsin Tangpu should be closed, (2) that Yu’s 51st Army Corps should be transferred from Hopei, (3) that the 2nd and 25th Divisions should leave the province, and (4) that all organizations in North China considered by the Japanese to be objectionable should be disbanded and suppressed.
The two Japanese officers intimated that failure to comply might result in an extension of the demilitarized zone to include Peiping and Tientsin.
(3) On June 10 the same officers once more called upon Ho and informed him that he must give a favorable reply to the June 9 demands by June 12th, 12 noon. The evening of June 10 Ho replied agreeing to the demands and pointing out that they were being complied with—the political training corps of the branch military council had been abolished, Tangpu offices and the headquarters of the Hopei Provincial Government were being removed to Paotingfu, the National Government had transferred General Yu and assigned his army elsewhere, the other troops were being transferred, a new mayor had been appointed for Tientsin, and the National Government had issued a mandate against anti-Japanese activities of any kind. Ho’s reply was received by the Japanese military officials as satisfactory and it was considered that the crisis had passed, the Japanese Premier so reported to the Japanese Cabinet.
(4) On June 11 Takahashi called again on Ho and handed him a “memorandum”. He demanded that Ho make a copy of the document, seal the copy and send it to him. The memorandum set forth the demands already made and supplemented them with what the Japanese termed “additional matters”: (1) The removal of the troops within a time limit must be under Japanese supervision, (2) there must be consultation with the Japanese authorities in North China concerning all Chinese provincial and municipal appointments, and (3) anti-Japanese activities and organizations must be completely suppressed in all parts of China. On this occasion Takahashi threatened that rejection would make it necessary for the Japanese forces to take “appropriate measures.”
(5) The Chinese Government had directed Ho to decline to sign or seal the document.
[Page 241]3. The Vice Minister stated that the Chinese Government would be pleased to learn the attitude of the American Government in respect to the developments in North China which he had just described.
4. As this telegram is being sent the newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to China is presenting his credentials.
5. Despatched to the Department and Legation.