Office of the Historian

793.94/9239: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, August 7, 1937—3 p.m.
[Received August 8—10 a.m.]

384. 1. According to estimate of the Military Attaché’s office, there are now about 130,000 Chinese troops concentrated on the Paoting-Tsangchow “front” including elements of the 29th Army at Chochow, 31,000 at Paoting, 43,000 in the Tinghsien-Shihkiachwang area, 17,000 in the Shuntefu-Hantai region, 12,000 at Tsangchow and 27,000 at Tehsien. Of these I am told 13 divisions totaling some 43,000 are [Page 353] Central Government troops. At Tsinan there are 8,000 soldiers, from Yangchikow to Chefoo 9,000, and Weihsien to Tsingtao 8,000.

2. General von Falkenhausen, Chief German Military Adviser, is reliably reported to be now at Paoting.

Sent to the Department, Tokyo.

Johnson