Office of the Historian

762.94/111: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, December 2, 1936—11 a.m.
[Received December 2—10:15 a.m.]

337. My 335, November 30, noon.

1.
Responsible official of the Foreign Office stated today to Peck that neither the German nor Italian Ambassador could return informative replies to questions asked by the Minister for Foreign Affairs regarding the German and Italian agreements with Japan but promised to submit the questions to their Governments.
2.
Informant stated that the Chinese Government understands that the arrangement with Japan was negotiated by Ribbentrop as confidential representative of Hitler with the Japanese Ambassador in Berlin and that even the German Foreign Office was not kept informed of the nature of the negotiations. Informant said that the Chinese Government is uneasy over article 2 of the published text of the agreement which carries the implication, especially in the Japanese text, that Germany and Japan will take measures against Communists who, in their opinion, threaten them even outside the limits of their respective countries. The Government is apprehensive also regarding the possibility of a secret military rider and questioned the German Ambassador concerning both of these points.
3.
Informant said that the Italian Ambassador asserted that so far as he knew the Italian understanding with Japan was concluded orally and provided only for the substitution of a Japanese consular office in Addis Ababa for a legation and for the setting up of an Italian consular office in Mukden and that specifically it did not involve recognition of “Manchukuo”. The Minister for Foreign Affairs inquired why, if the understanding included only these measures, Italy wished to bring Japan into the German-Italian Fascist bloc and the Italian Ambassador replied that he inferred that this bloc felt the necessity of obtaining the support of a large navy.
4.
Responsible official of the Executive Yuan yesterday informed an officer of the Embassy that while the Chinese Government is still ignorant of the precise contents and significance of the German and Italian [Page 403] agreements with Japan these agreements had again impressed the Chinese Government and people with the fact that for protection from aggression China cannot rely on effective help from any other nation or exterior agency but must depend entirely on its own exertions. Informant said that he thought the Chinese would not forget this lesson and he evidently intended this observation as a guide to understanding of China’s policies in the future.
5.
Sent to the Department and Peiping.
Johnson