Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1935, The Far East, Volume III

793.94/7573: Telegram

The Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, December 26, 1935—3 p.m.
[Received December 26—10:55 a.m.]

154. Shanghai’s 793, December 25, 11 a.m.

1. Some of the Shanghai students are reported to have reached Changchow (Wutsin) about half way to Nanking this morning. I am reliably informed that a train of heavily armed gendarmes has been despatched from Nanking to that place and that Chiang Kai-shek has ordered the rails torn up if necessary to stop the students’ approach.

2. The possibility that the Shanghai students would reach Nanking and threats of difficulty with local student bodies impelled the National Government yesterday to issue a mandate stating that bad characters were taking advantage of the situation to create disorders and shouting that martial law be declared in important areas. Nanking has been under martial law since last night.

3. No student demonstrations have occurred in Nanking since December 19 probably because Chiang Kai-shek on December 23 invited educational heads and student representatives to meet with him in Nanking January 15 and issued orders to the Ministry of Education that students should devote themselves to studying.

4. Suma yesterday called “unofficially” upon the Minister for Foreign Affairs to bring to latter’s attention the anti-Japanese character of the student demonstrations. To a foreign news correspondent this morning Suma characterized the lack of control over the students as a “glaring example of the National Government’s impotence”.

5. Repeated to the Department, Peiping and Shanghai.

Atcheson