793.94/9086: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:40 p.m.]
343. 1. Following statement of Chiang Kai-shek in the form of an interview with Central News Agency was released to that Agency in Chinese by the Foreign Office at midnight and was [will be] published here today:
“Question: The sudden departure from Peiping of General Sung Cheh-yuan has resulted in the fall of an important city. What will the Central Government do in regard to question of his personal responsibility?
Answer: Speaking from the military point of view Sung should have been in Paoting and not have gone to Peiping or Tientsin. From the very beginning I have maintained this point. As I am the commander in chief of the Nation’s forces and concurrently head of the executive branch of the Government, I and not General Sung should be responsible for the military reverse in Peiping and Tientsin.
I am confident that I shall be able by exerting my full energy to bear the entire responsibility for relieving the critical situation. In fact this sudden turn in the situation in Peiping and Tientsin has been foreseen by keen chief observers. Japanese military invasion and political pressure did not begin today. Instead they have a long history and the present situation is not accidental.
What is more, temporary military reverse must not be considered as defeats and the hostilities in the Peiping-Tientsin area are not to be regarded as having been terminated. Since the Japanese military have been deliberately planning to invade China and have used all kinds of methods to achieve this aim it is obvious that the warfare in the Peiping-Tientsin area only marks the beginning of a war of aggression and not its end. An absolute singleness of purpose is necessary to overcome the national crisis. As to the personal responsibility of General Sung Cheh-yuan it does not deserve serious attention.
Question: What is the Government’s future policy toward Japan?
Answer: After the outbreak of the Lukouchio incident I definitely declared in a speech in Ruling that this would mark the limit of our endurance. I also listed four minimum conditions for a settlement of the incident. These conditions have been made known to the nation in particular and the world in general and there is wholeheartedly [absolutely] no possibility of changing or revising them. I said then that we would not seek war, that we would meet war when forced on us. Since we have arrived at the ‘limit of endurance’ how could we consider the state of affairs in Peiping and Tientsin as a local question and let the Japanese military encroach upon our territorial and sovereign integrity or let them set up another puppet regime?
[Page 299]The Government has the responsibility of defending national territory and sovereign rights and of protecting the people. The only thing to do is to put into operation its comprehensive plan to lead the entire nation in a struggle for the protection of the nation to the very bitter end. Henceforth absolutely no local settlement will be possible. We must remember that the four minimum conditions I laid down form a deciding point of our existence or extinction. Our troops have not suffered any great reverse and even if they did we should be determined to perish with the state and never would we compromise or surrender.
In short the ultimate position of our Government has been consistent and inalterable, namely, no territory must be lost and no sovereign rights impaired.
I am sure that our people finding their fatherland at this critical point of existence or extinction will like one man fight to the finish.
Meanwhile, I wish to announce that I have decided upon all necessary measures in regard to the situation. My only wish now [is?] that our people will seriously but cautiously fulfill their respective duties and at the same time have the common determination to sacrifice everything including their very lives for their nation. I am confident that the final victory will be ours.[”]
2. Sent to the Department same date [only]. Summary will be telegraphed to Tokyo and radioed to Peiping.