793.94/8221: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 5—7 a.m.]
293. The Chinese press, October 3, carried long statement over the names of numerous prominent Chinese newspapers.30 There follow two excerpts from translation published by Central News Agency under date October 2nd:
(1st excerpt) “For China’s present foreign relations are in no way similar to those of several years ago. Once she breaks off with another country, it would be tantamount to gambling the existence of the nation to the last straw and there is no way of retracting.
Should a rupture occur between China and Japan the situation would be as serious as just pictured. Once hostilities were started, and should China be forced to surrender, it would mean her endorsing a pledge of giving up her own independence. In that event, posterity would be left to suffer and the chances of a national revival would be nil.
It is therefore imperative that we should consider the rupture of diplomatic relations as the last resort. Meanwhile, we should still entertain the hope that some satisfactory solution to the deadlock may be reached. But should the last resort fail, the whole populace would not hesitate to lay down their lives for their fatherland.”
(2d excerpt) “Mincing no words, the Nanking and Shanghai dailies remind their Nipponese colleagues that should no efforts oe made to fundamentally readjust the Sino-Japanese relations, gravity of the future situation would far exceed that of the Shanghai war and the Great Wall fighting.
Driven to desperation, China would have to make her last sacrifice in a last effort to maintain her independence. Chinese public opinion, [Page 340] it says, has reached the point whereby it will not tolerate the Government accepting humiliating terms in order to preserve peace. China might have to suffer untold sacrifices but could Japan escape from such a disastrous whirlpool in the Orient?”
- The Counselor of Embassy in his telegram No. 294, October 5, 2 p.m., reported that the statement “was drafted by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was approved by General Chiang Kai Shek. The first intention was to publish it as an official communiqué but considerations of policy later prompted its issue as a statement by the Chinese press.” (793.94/8222)↩