893.01 Provisional/72: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Embassy in China (Allison) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:10 p.m.]
75. My 56, February 14, 6 p.m.89 I was told yesterday evening by the same information90 mentioned in my No. 56, that the new government for Central China would be set up within the very near future but that the actual date could not yet be announced. There is still said to be some difference of opinion as to whether Shanghai or [Page 122] Nanking will be the seat of the new government though Nanking is believed to be the more likely site.
Upon being asked what connection this new government would have with the regime now functioning in Peiping, my informant stated that this was perhaps the most delicate matter to be solved but that it was probable the two governments would be independent of each other. The reasons for this were said to be that Japan feels more confident of her ability to control as well as develop economically the region now under the Peiping regime but that in South and Central China it would be much more difficult directly to control the government and it will be impossible fully to develop economically Central and South China without foreign assistance. It is believed that foreign governments or private business interests will not give the desired cooperation to a regime in Central China which is so obviously and directly controlled by Japan as the Peiping Government.
My informant then stated that Japan fully realizes the difficulties facing her in Central China and that she is hopeful that some Western nation will come to understand Japan’s true aims in this region and come forward with an offer to cooperate in its economic exploits. He stated that one foreign government was rumored to be making tentative suggestion along this line but that Japan wanted more than anything else to have real friendship and cooperation with the United States and it hoped that America would be the country which would cooperate with Japan in an economic and commercial way. I stated that America’s only interest was to see peace and order restored as quickly as possible and to see that the interests and rights of its citizens were respected. I added that at the present time there could be no question of cooperating with Japan inasmuch as the American attitude was one of strict neutrality. I was then told it was hoped that this new government of Central China would be the medium through which foreign nations might work with Japan in the economic development of the country. However, this could only be done if the Western nations ceased their policy of giving encouragement to the government of Chiang Kai Shek. In this connection I was told that the Japanese had been greatly disappointed at the announced decision of the new British Ambassador to fly to Chungking to present his credentials to the Chinese Government. With the exception of stating that the ideas advanced by my informant were interesting, I made noncommittal rejoinders and the subject was then changed.
I was told that a new China Affairs Bureau was shortly to be set up in Tokyo headed by Mr. Toshio Shiratori, former Japanese Minister to Sweden, and at present on a special mission in Peiping. This bureau will report directly to the Cabinet rather than to the Foreign Minister and will have among its personnel representatives of the army and navy, though the majority will probably be taken [Page 123] from the present China Bureau of the Foreign Office. It will be the function of this bureau to coordinate the viewpoints regarding China of the military and civilian elements in Japan and then to make concrete plans for the carrying out of Japanese policy towards this country. It is interesting to note that Mr. Shiratori, who will seemingly occupy a leading position in the formulation and carrying out of Japan’s continental policy, has made the following statement in a recent issue of the magazine Chuokoron, published in translation in the Japan Advertiser of February 4th “Japan may send her immigrants to the continent or undertake to develop natural resources there, but over and above such materialistic considerations she takes it as part of her cultural mission to enlighten the various Asiatic races on the continent and relieve them from their present miserable condition. For the realization of this national ideal she is determined to have her own way and will combat any influence attempting to thwart her course of advance.”
Sent to Embassy, Hankow. Repeated to Peiping and Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Tokyo.