793.94119/563: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 12—10:40 a.m.]
590. Wang Ching Wei’s activities. From a well informed Chinese having contacts with the Japanese the following interesting but unconfirmed information has been received. A conference was convened at the Japanese Consulate General here on July 8 at which Wang Ching Wei, representatives of the Japanese Military and Naval Headquarters in Central China, Japanese diplomatic and consular officers and representatives of the “Reformed” [and] “Provisional” government[s] were present. At this conference it was decided, first, that a more extensive “peace” movement should be undertaken before the actual establishment of a new central government the inauguration of which would be postponed for several months; second, that there should be a preparatory propaganda period during which peace propaganda should be disseminated over as wide an area as possible; third, that following this period a so-called “people’s conference” should be convened which should create and select representatives to participate in a “peace assembly”; fourth, that the “assembly” should request Wang Ching Wei to become its chairman which office he would accept; and, fifth, that the “peace assembly” should issue manifestoes expressing the sincere desire of the Chinese people for [Page 193] peace, should issue telegraphic appeals to the various foreign powers stressing the widespread desire among the Chinese people for a cessation of hostilities and should request the powers to cease giving assistance to the National Government. According to the informant mentioned, the Japanese anticipate that the carrying out of this program will probably take from 2 to 3 months and was decided upon as likely to be more effective vis-à-vis the foreign powers and the Chinese people from whom it will purport to originate than the issuance of a peace appeal by a new central government.
Repeated to Chungking, Peiping and Nanking. Air mail to Tokyo.