740.0011 Pacific War/2593
The First Secretary of the Australian Legation (Watt) to the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)
Dear Mr. Hornbeck: On 18th May Canberra telegraphed to us the text of a telegram received from the Australian Minister at Chungking. The date on which the telegram was despatched from Chungking is not mentioned, but it is clearly a fairly recent telegram. As the point of view expressed in the telegram is of importance, I thought you might be interested to know its contents, if only to supplement the information you have no doubt already received from United States sources.
Sir Frederic Eggleston said in his telegram that he considered there was a grave risk that Chinese resistance to the Japanese advance might be exceedingly feeble, even if it did not collapse. So far as the position in Yunnan is concerned, it appears that the Japanese risked a small column along the road and were surprised at the ease with which they advanced. Originally the party was small and returned to Lashio. The Japanese were now advancing with three regiments and had reached the neighbourhood of Paoshan. The Chinese had at least two divisions between Shiakuan and Lungling and thus could hold the Japanese but they failed to resist and the absence of demolitions was significant. The Japanese crossing of the Salween could have been checked with a few machine guns.
The Australian Minister added that many people in Chungking believe that Japan at the moment was deciding whether to make a major effort to liquidate China or to take India. The principal factors were the feeble Chinese resistance, as in Yunnan, and the anxiety to prevent further bombing of Tokyo for which Chinese territory appeared essential. Some Chinese officials were already expressing the view that they would soon be back in Nanking leading a normal existence again. A member of the Chinese General Staff has just told a Military Attaché of one of the Allied nations that the Chinese were incensed with the British for failure to send reinforcements to Burma which General Wavell had promised, and also at the fact that the British Army in Burma was falling back on India instead of assisting in the defence of China. The member of the Chinese General Staff went on to say that the Chinese were not inclined to do anything more unless British help was forthcoming.
Sir Frederic commented that he had little sympathy with the Chinese attitude, but felt that their belief that others must assist was a fundamental issue which must be recognized. He believed that some constructive effort was necessary to strengthen Chinese resistance [Page 48] and possibly to keep her in the war, while the time during which such steps would be at all effective was possibly limited to a few weeks. In his view such an effort should consist of (a) Positive assurances of support by Britain and America, and (b) The immediate despatch of British air assistance.
Yours sincerely,