793.94/7322: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:42 p.m.]
38. My 37, October 25, noon.
1. Responsible official of the Chinese Foreign Office questioned by me this morning stated no demands of any sort had recently been made on China by the Japanese Foreign Office but he bitterly criticized the practice of the Japanese Army and its officers in China of presenting to individual high officials of the Chinese Government demands of the sort set forth in my telegram in reference. He said if Chinese-Japanese rapprochement were ever to be brought about, political matters of mutual interest must be handled exclusively by the two Governments through their Foreign Offices. While my informant was careful not to confirm or deny the textual accuracy of the demands reported in my October 25, noon, he accused the Japanese [Page 382] Army of trying to create an autonomous state in North China and of other schemes designed to prohibit China from growing in unity and strength. The reported demands may very well have been advanced by Japanese military men to pro-Japanese Chinese officials and my informant may have been ignorant of them since he is not of the so-called pro-Japanese group. I will seek further verification.
Repeated to Peiping and mailed to the Ambassador at Shanghai.