Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume V

893.102S/2467: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Chungking, April 17, 1941—6 p.m.
[Received 6:26 p.m.]

141. My 139, April 16, noon,⁴ and previous on the International Settlement of Shanghai. The Embassy is just in receipt of a memorandum from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that it has received a letter from the chairman of the Chinese Ratepayers Association to the effect that on April 14 the Japanese and puppets illegally convened a meeting of the Chinese Ratepayers Association of the International Settlement at which Yuan Lu-teng and Hsi Yu-shu, as well as two puppets, Shiun Hsu⁵ and Chang Teh-siu⁶ were “elected” members of the “Provisional Council” and that the chairman of the Association requested the Ministry to make it clear to any persons concerned that the meeting referred to and all action taken at the meeting are null and void; that the four Chinese already selected (my April 15, 6 p.m. to Shanghai, paragraph numbered 1) are to serve for the time being; and that the chairman of the Association has telegraphed the Shanghai Municipal Council in the foregoing sense.

Sent to the Department. Repeated to Peiping, Shanghai.

Johnson

4. Not printed.
5. Also known as Jabin Hsu, or Hsu Chien-pin.
6. Also known as Theodore Chang or Chang Tuck-ching.