893.00/14444: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 22—12:35 p.m.]
507. Shanghai’s 839, September 20, 1 p.m.49 Sotomatsu Kato, new Japanese Minister at Large who is visiting in Peiping for a few days, revealed in a personal and informal conversation yesterday his belief that he expects a new government to be inaugurated in Nanking, possibly on October 10. He expressed the view that Nanking would be the capital of the new government because it was more central than Peiping. I inferred that he believed also that Wang Ching Wei could command a stronger following at Nanking than in the north. Kato who is leaving for Hsinking tomorrow, thence to Japan, stated that he expects to be in Nanking about October 10 and that he will divide his time between Nanking and Shanghai.
Repeated to Chungking, Shanghai, Nanking. Code text by air mail to Tokyo.
- Not printed.↩