793.94/9297: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 12—6:10 a.m.]
404. 1. We have been reliably informed that Chu Teh and Mao Tze Tung, military leaders of the communistic forces in Shensi, visited [Page 377] Nanking within past few days as sequel to an earlier visit by Chou En Lai, Secretary General of the communistic régime at Yenan, Shensi, and that an agreement was reached for the cooperation of the communistic forces with Government troops against the Japanese. According to one informant, the Shensi Communists have now been organized into 60 units for guerrilla warfare and are moving on their designated front along the Tatung-Puchow Railway in Shensi north of Taiyuan, their plan being to advance eastward “when hostilities begin” either in Chahar or Southern Hopei and to attack the Japanese lines in the rear.
2. This information was received with injunctions of secrecy because of the possible effect of these developments on Sino-Russian and Russo-Japanese relations.
Sent to the Department, Tokyo. Code text to Peiping, Shanghai.