740.0011 P.W./604: Telegram
The Consul at Saigon (Browne) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 6—9:25 p.m.]
123. Department’s telegram of October 31, 7 [8] p.m.22 regarding Japanese troops and aircraft in southern Indochina. While increasing secrecy surrounds Japanese troop movements, the consensus of opinion among qualified observers is that not more than 32,000 are now stationed in southern Indochina, distributed roughly as follows: Cambodia 10,000, Saigon 8,000, Cochin-China apart from Saigon 12,000, coastal areas of Nhatrang and Camranh 2,000. The same observers place the number of Japanese troops in Tongking at 18,000, including most recent arrivals, making a total of 50,000 for Indochina. It is believed that this figure should be considered a maximum.
With regard to aircraft, little accurate information can be obtained but reliable sources estimate a maximum of 150 of which the large majority consists of bombers. They are now concentrated mainly at Saigon.
Sent to Cavite for repetition to the Department, Chungking, Peiping, Hong Kong, Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Tokyo. Repeated to Bangkok.
- Not printed.↩