893.00/15043: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:55 p.m.]
1066. Embassy’s 1012, June 24, 2 p.m. In a despatch dated June 14 the Embassy officer at Sian reports information received from informed local military officials confirmatory of previous reports that there are large concentrations of Chinese troops at [in] Shensi, Honan and Kansu provinces; that the function of these troops is, in addition to guarding against Japanese incursion, the enforcement of a blockade against Chinese Communists in North Shensi; that the troop concentrations extend from Tungkwan, Honan province, southwestward through Sian and in a semi-circle into eastern Kansu at least as far as Kuyuan (east of Lanchow); that in the north the Communists are contained by Ninghsia Provincial and National Government [Page 274] troops; and that the blockade maintained against the Communist area is apparently as stringent as ever.
According to the informants cited, the Communists control all of Shansi north of Taiyuan except for some towns and lines of communications. The informants admitted the Communists have not recently clashed with Central Government troops and made the familiar accusation that the Communists employ unfair method in expanding the area under their control. One of the informants stated that there had been minor withdrawals of Japanese troops from Shansi and replacement of them by puppet forces with which the Central Government forces were in “constant contact”.