793.94/14221: Telegram
The Consul General at Canton (Linnell) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 28—6 a.m.]
19. Department’s October 24, 7 p.m. There are persistent rumors that the Japanese troops were able to get through to Canton in the short time it took them to do so by reason of the treachery of some commanders of sections of the Chinese Army who did not place their forces as ordered or did not make as strong a defense of their positions as they might have done. Chinese officers attached to headquarters admitted to me that several such officers were shot by order of General Yu Han Mou during the fighting around Tamshui and Waichow.
In my opinion a large factor in the defeat was the terrific bombardment of the Chinese troops, [by?] heavy artillery, bombardment from the air and machine gunning from armored tanks all at the same time. It appears that most of the Kwangtung troops had had little or no experience under fire and that their leadership was weak. I talked with the major in command of a Chinese battalion which was on October 20 attacked by airplanes and tanks simultaneously about 20 miles from Canton. He says the battalion was almost completely wiped out in a short time and the remnants scattered throughout the countryside, the tanks unit involved came in Canton the next day as reported in my telegram October 21, 6 p.m.61 Only a few troops have as yet come to Canton, the commanding officer Lieutenant General Furusho is still in Tsengcheng. No news has reached Canton as to present disposition of either Chinese or Japanese troops but it is believed that the former have fallen back across Canton–Hankow Railway and gone toward northern Kwangtung.
The manner in which Canton was evacuated en masse in about 24 hours together with statements made this office by Chinese leads me to believe that this evacuation was decided upon some time before as a policy to be carried out if the Japanese came near the city and undoubtedly the police went from home [house?] to house telling all the people that they must get out at once as the town would be blown up and burned by the Chinese.
There is no indication whatever that the higher Chinese officials civil or military went out [over?]: on the contrary, all indications are that they are loyal to China and ordered scorched earth policy to be carried out on Canton to prevent the Japanese from getting any good out of their occupation of city.
Repeated to Chungking.