893.00/13276: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 14—2:45 p.m.]
74. 1. Over 400 have gathered for the Fifth Kuomintang Congress which opened yesterday morning. Among the leaders are Yen Hsi-shan and Feng Yu-ksiang who have been selected by the Central [Page 412] Executive Committee to be members of the Presidium together with Chiang Kai-shek, Wang Ching-wei (who is still in the hospital), other National Government figures and one Southwestern official—Tsou Lu, president of the Sun Yat-sen University. From the Southwest have arrived: the Chairman of Kwangtung and Kwangsi Provinces; Tsou Lu; Liu Chi-wen, Mayor of Canton; four other members of the Central Executive Committee; and three Cantonese delegates. A semiofficial press organ states that Li Tsung-jen is leaving Canton for Nanking today but Chen Chi-tang will not come “owing to urgent military duties”. The organ states that Hu Han-min will leave France for China November 15th. Ma Chao-chun and Tai Chi-tao have returned and report that the results of their exchange of views with Southwest leaders are “very satisfactory”.
2. Several well-informed Chinese officials have predicted in conversation with officers of the Embassy that the draft constitution will probably be adopted by the Congress but will remain ineffective because it must be approved by the National People’s Congress, the date of which they state will be postponed, and that consequently there is less likelihood that the period of tutelage will be terminated in the near future.
3. No date has been announced for the selection of a National Government chairman. Rumors persist that Yen Hsi-shan will be given this post and his is the only name of which mention has been heard in this connection.
4. A theory prevails among several Chinese informants that the recent recrudescence of Japanese activity in North China is a partial result of Japanese displeasure at the apparent progress in the unification of various Chinese political factions with the National Government as evidenced by the coming here of Yen Hsi-shan and Feng Yu-hsiang and the prospects (which have now materialized) that the Southwest would send delegates.
5. To Peiping and Tokyo by mail.