793.94/15462
The Vice Consul at Tsinan (Hawthorne) to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)56
Sir: I have the honor to report that, while Shantung has passed through many “dark ages”, what with famine, pestilence, brigandage and internecine strife, never in recent years has this part of China been thrown into such utter chaos as obtains at present. For this state of affairs the promoters of the much-advertised “New Order in East Asia” must be held largely responsible as having brought about the collapse in many districts of the government machinery set up by the National Government of the Republic of China without having thus far placed in operation any efficient or satisfactory substitute therefor.
Banditry is rife and lawlessness the order of the day throughout the length and breadth of this consular district, except in the more important towns along the main channels of communication, and even in such places peace and order is more apparent than real. And with the human suffering and misery which may be expected this winter due to the poor harvests it is to be anticipated that conditions will grow worse rather than better.
[Page 266]An American medical missionary stationed at Ichowfu (Lini), in southern Shantung, wrote the Consulate on September 18, 1939, that
“Conditions within a mile rather make me hesitate to go out. In the twenty six years I have been here I have never known conditions to be as bad as at present. So far as I know there is no attempt at control. One patient in coming twelve li to the hospital was stopped three times by as many different gangs. Many are shot by automatics. As I have removed a good many bullets I know what is being used.”
This brief description of conditions in the Ichowfu area is typical of the reports being received in Tsinan concerning the disorder prevailing in other sections of this consular district.
Respectfully yours,
- Copy transmitted to the Department without covering despatch; received November 2.↩