793.94119/559: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 24—8:50 a.m.]
457. I saw Stuart yesterday who is here on invitation of Kung (reference my telegram 450 July 21, 9 a.m. and Peiping’s 350, July 15, 1 [9] p.m.) and he confirmed Tong’s statement that he is not here with peace proposals. He allowed me to infer that he was here at Kung’s invitation and really did not know what he or Chiang might have in mind. I suspect that he is interested in trying to help Wang Keh Min leave Peiping. He stated, in the course of conversation regarding Wang Ching Wei, that Japanese scheme for latter was for him to attempt to lure followers from Central Government with funds supplied by Japanese from customs moneys and later to start a civil war against Chiang, the idea being that foreign governments would have to give de facto recognition to his government as they had to such governments in the past.
Repeated to Peiping.