740.0011 Pacific War/3532: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 9—9 a.m.]
2115. Our despatch 1731, October 25,88 reported withdrawal Yu Hsueh-chung’s troops from Shantung to N. W. Anhui and their replacement by two group armies under immediate command Tang En-po. Military Attaché believes withdrawals (Embassy’s 2044, October 30) are result of defeat by Japs and of difficulty of supplying troops those areas and that replacements can have refused to proceed to Shantung. Chungking authorities are reportedly seriously concerned over spread of Communist control in North China (our 1722, [Page 377] September 15). Communists at Chungking charge Central Government with encouraging defections of Chungking troops to Japs with view to solving supply problem and to ensuring presence of puppet troops friendly to Chungking who would provide opposition to Communists now and at time of Jap withdrawal from North China. This circumstance may also partially explain withdrawals and failure to send replacements.
Military Attaché is of opinion that Central Government troops in Honan total probably less than half million.
This is reply to Department’s 1578, November 4 [3], 10 p.m.89