793.94/9029: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 28—6 a.m.]
332. 1. Donald, adviser to Chiang Kai-shek, told an officer of the Embassy last evening, that the National Government had ordered Sung Che Yuan to resist the Japanese and pointed to a news article published at Nanking morning of July 27th stating that the Government had received a telegram from Sung reporting that he had issued instructions to this effect to the 29th Army. The informant said that “fighting” was now inevitable.96
2. Local news agencies last night received reports, said to be from reliable official source, that the Central Government troops in South Hopei had been ordered to proceed north to Changhsintien just south of Lukouchiao, but this has not been confirmed.
Sent to the Department, Peiping, Tokyo, Tientsin, Hankow. By mail to Shanghai.
- The Ambassador’s telegram No. 334, July 28, noon, added: “It Is probable that Minister for Foreign Affairs had knowledge of this fact when he made statement to British Ambassador and myself reported in my 330, July 27, 8 p.m.” (793.94/9022)↩