793.94/7734: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
79. A reliable official of the local Japanese Embassy has expressed the following views in private conversation.
The present apparent relaxation of Japanese military policy with respect to North China is the outcome of the conversations during the middle of January of such important officers as Doihara, Isogai, and Itagaki (See Embassy’s 15, January 13, 4 p.m., paragraph 1). They arrived at an agreement that (1) direction of Japanese military policy in North China is to be removed from the hands of the Kwantung army, (2) Doihara will return to Japan in March, and (3) the policy will be in hands of the North China Garrison. The North China Garrison is to be enlarged (the degree of increase is not yet known but will probably be double the present strength) and will be under the command of a lieutenant-general. This means that Tada will go. His successor is not yet known but it will not be Doihara. This agreement was arrived at because of the international situation, principally the attitude toward Japan of Russia, the United States and Great Britain, and because of the differences of opinion existing between Itagaki and Tada on the one hand and Doihara on the other with regard to policy. There will be quiet for 3 or 4 months not necessarily because of a change of objective but because of a change of method.
3. The Foreign Office policy is the most reasonable explanation available of the seeming pause of the Japanese military with the procrastination of Chinese military in attaining a degree of autonomy desirable to the Japanese military. An unofficial but informed and frank Japanese has also recently stated that Doihara will go to Japan next month and that there will be quiet in North China for some time.
Repeated to Nanking, by mail to Tokyo.
- Telegram in two sections.↩