Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1937, The Far East, Volume III

793.94/8554: Telegram

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

Nanking, March 24, 1937—4 p.m.
[Received March 24—9:55 a.m.]

134. My [our] 119, March 16, 1 [3] p.m., and [my] 121, March 18, 9 a.m.⁶⁵

1. Japanese Economic Mission left Shanghai for Japan yesterday although, according to press reports, three members are remaining for the time being in order to visit North China. According to the informant mentioned, 133, March 24, 3 p.m.,⁶⁶ the mission accomplished nothing because the Chinese do not want Japanese “economic cooperation” which they understand to mean Japanese “domination”.

2. In the conversations between members and Chinese officials and businessmen in Shanghai, the Chinese appear to have insisted that a readjustment of the political relations of the two countries is necessary before any concrete program of “economic cooperation” can be agreed upon and this insistence is blamed by Japanese press reports widely circulating in China (notably Domei from Tokyo, March 22, quoting the Tokyo Asahi) as responsible for what is termed the mission’s failure. These reported comments state that the mission’s visit was employed chiefly as excuse for “exchange of complaints”, there is no hope of Japanese economic cooperation with China in any part of that country but the north, hopes of a political readjustment are to be despaired of because of the Chinese attitude mentioned above, and there is accordingly nothing left for Japan to do but push her economic program in North China.

3. Sent to the Department, by mail to Peiping, Shanghai, Tokyo.

Johnson

65. For latter, see vol. iv, p. 578.
66. Not printed.