793.94/7819: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 28—7 a.m.]
67. 1. An official of the Foreign Office has informed an officer that he thought Chiang Kai Shek had recently met Sung Che Yuan in Kaifeng to discuss the North China situation, the most immediate problem being criticism against Sung by the Japanese military which probably presages an attempt to replace Sung if a suitable substitute can be found. He concurred in the general impression here and in Peiping (see Peiping’s 147, March 24, 8 p.m., paragraph 422) that developments in North China must await clarification of the situation [Page 92] in Tokyo but he expressed the opinion that a renewal of Japanese pressure upon the Chinese Government could be expected in less than 2 months time.
2. He denied reports that in the March 16–19 conversations between the Japanese Ambassador and the Minister for Foreign Affairs the former had insisted that China had accepted Hirota’s so-called three points or insisted that they must form the basis of discussion. He said, however, that Arita had brought up for discussion the “concrete measures” which were implied by the three points and that in general both officials had “laid their cards on the table so that each Government knew where the other stood.”
3. He stated that the Japanese Government had not yet made known to the Chinese Government any nominee to replace Arita and assumed that this question awaits Arita’s return to Japan.
4. By mail to Tokyo.
- Not printed.↩