793.94/17107a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Vincent)
428. According to Japanese radio broadcasts Premier Tojo in addressing the Diet on March 25 stated inter alia that “Chungking is feeling a great shock under the recent clear cut measures taken by Japan on the basis of Japan’s new China policy, that there is ever growing in the Chungking camp sentiments for peace among the front line commanders and that compared to previous times there now is a great increase in the number of those surrendering and returning to the Nanking camp.” In connection with Japanese reports of [Page 43] alleged defections to the Nanking regime the Chief of the Japanese Army Information Bureau stated in a broadcast on March 2 that W. W. Yen,48 Eugene Chen49 and Chou Tso-min (Managing Director of the Kincheng Banking Corporation) are now supporting the Nanking regime.
The Department would be glad to receive Embassy’s comments regarding Japanese reports of defections to the Nanking regime and also the Embassy’s estimate of the present political and economic strength of that regime in the light of recent Japanese broadcasts alleging that measures have been taken to give more political and economic authority to Nanking in pursuance of Japan’s “New China Policy.”