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

793.94/10800: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State

Peiping, October 22, 1937—6 p.m.
[Received October 22—1:07 p.m.]

690. Embassy’s 679, October 20, 4 [7] p.m.⁵³

1. There are reports that the Japanese are making efforts to form a regime before the convening of the Nine Power Conference, with either Tang Erh Ho⁵⁴ or Tsao Kun⁵⁵ as its head.

2. The local Japanese military spokesman stated this afternoon that Japanese forces have captured a bridge of the Peiping–Hankow Railway at the Chang River in extreme northern Honan. He gave out no other information. He denied yesterday’s reports of Japanese withdrawal along the Tientsin–Pukow Railway. Japanese press claims Japanese were within 25 miles of Tsinanfu October 20. The spokesman said yesterday that Japanese forces had practically completed occupation of Hsinkow, 45 miles north of Taiyuan.

3. The spokesman also stated that air mail has been established from today between Tientsin and Tokyo; using Japanese stamps.

Repeated to Nanking and Tokyo.

Lockhart

53. Not printed.
54. Retired member of Peking governments between 1922 and 1927.
55. President of China, 1923–24. For correspondence concerning the “resignation” of President Tsao in 1926, see Foreign Relations, 1926, vol. i, pp. 609–617.