740.0011 Pacific War/3272: Telegram
The Chargé in China ( Atcheson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 25—11:23 a.m.]
777. Department’s 633, May 18, 7 p.m. American officer referred to is an Assistant Naval Attaché who visited Sining briefly in latter part of April in company with an Assistant Military Attaché. Information given former by Secretary of Chinghai Government was that 10,000 Chinghai troops had been moved toward Tibetan border (actual location is probably north border of Sikang as shown on Chinese maps) in obedience to Generalissimo’s orders. Governor of Sikang is also understood to have been asked to permit passage of Central Government troops toward Tibet or in lieu of this to despatch his own troops. Governor Liu Wen-hui has reportedly refused to do either (see New Delhi’s 344, May 15, 7 p.m.).
Chinese objectives in these moves seem to be: (1) to bring pressure on Tibet to permit opening two nd [to the?] Central Government [and?] control of transportation routes and transit of military supplies (Tibetans apparently remain intransigent on this question and [Page 633] in 1942 attacked Ministry of Communications route survey party, killing chief); (2) to gain a foothold for the Central Government in the presently independent province of Sikang and Chinghai; (3) eventually to bring Tibet under effective Chinese control. Chinese pretext is that Tibetans instigated by Japanese agents and aided by Japanese arms and planes are planning offensive action against Chinese border provinces.
While there is some basis for belief in presence in Tibet of a few Japanese agents, reports of Japanese activity and Tibetan aggressiveness are believed exaggerated.
In their present nationalistic state of mind the Chinese may be expected to resent any active British interest in Tibetan affairs.
More detailed report follows by despatch.18
- Apparently not sent.↩