893.01 Provisional/5: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 14—8:40 a.m.]
822. Embassy’s 820, December 14, 11 a.m.26 The new government is named the “Provisional Government of the Republic of China”. It consists of one Executive Committee under Wang Keh Ming, a Legislative Committee under Tang Erh Ho, and a Judicial Committee under Tung Kang. Under the Executive Committee there are four “Ministries”: Public Safety under Chi Hsieh Yuan, Education and Culture under Tang Erh Ho, Justice under Chu Shen, and Reconstruction and Rehabilitation under Wang Yi Tang. Kao Ling Wei becomes Mayor of Tientsin and Governor of Hopei Province. Chiang Chao Tsung continues as Mayor of Peiping. All but Chiang are old Anfu clique men.27 Evidently it is the intention of the Provisional Government to create some sort of permanent government for “all China”, after which they will resign. Its members state that the Provisional Government has the de facto recognition of Japan and hopes to obtain the de facto recognition of other governments.
Japanese attending the inaugural meeting included Major General Kita, in charge of Japanese special military affairs organ in North China, Colonel Nemoto head of the Peiping special military affairs organ, Major Watanabe of the same office, and Morishima, Counselor of the local government [Embassy].
Repeated to the Ambassador, Shanghai and Tokyo.