Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1936, The Far East, Volume IV

894.00/573: Telegram

Nanking , February 27, 1936—2 p.m.
[Received February 27—9:45 a.m.]

42. A Japanese Embassy spokesman here has told a foreign news correspondent that the officials killed were Okada, Takahashi, Saito and Watanabe.

2.: The news of the coup was at first received in local Chinese official circles with considerable pessimism as probably portending increased Japanese pressure upon China by a military controlled government. The Minister for Foreign Affairs,26 however, last night gave me his opinion that Japanese pressure and chauvinistic activities in China would probably lessen for a time because of the need for the Japanese to concentrate upon keeping the domestic situation in hand. Rather strangely, his principal concern seemed to be over the harm the uprising presaged for Japan. He said that the military clique had successively removed trusted advisers from around the person of the Emperor in order to control the Emperor themselves.
3.: Telegraphic messages which he received from Japan while I was with him and which he showed to me were similar to Reuter’s despatches. Information from foreign news sources in Shanghai indicates that because of rigorous censorship in Japan confirmation of the various reports is still lacking, actual details are not known and doubt exists even as to the identity of all officials killed or wounded. The reports in general agree that at least Okada, Saito and Watanabe are dead.
4.: Repeated to the Department, Peiping and Tokyo.

Johnson