Following the receipt at Chungking of the Consul’s telegraphic report on this
incident, I called on Dr. T. V. Soong, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and
brought the matter to his serious attention, at the same time suggesting
that it should be reported to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. I have since
been informed orally from the Foreign Minister that the incident was
reported to Generalissimo Chiang and that strong instructions regarding the
matter were issued by the National Government to the Yunnan authorities.
I have instructed the Consul at Kunming to continue to follow this case with
the Yunnan provincial government and if information is not soon forthcoming
on the investigation and action ordered by Chairman Lung Yun, that he should
press firmly but courteously for such information as at the instance and
under instructions of the Embassy, for report to the American
Government.
[Enclosure]
The Consul at Kunming (Ludden) to the
Ambassador in China (Gauss)
No. 135
Kunming, October 29,
1943.
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegrams
to the Embassy no. 32, October 18, 2 p.m. and no. 35, October 23, 1
p.m.12 and to enclose for the information of the Embassy a
copy of my note addressed to the Special Delegate of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs at Kunming dated October 19, 1943 and his reply thereto
dated October 25, 1943.13
It is believed that the essential details of the incident are adequately
set forth in the enclosures to this despatch. The wounded American
personnel are still in hospital, but with the exception of Major
[Page 723]
Pennoyer of the Army Medical
Corps, whose upper right arm was badly shattered by gunshot, the wounds
are not as serious as was thought at first.
There is no question but that the attack came as a complete surprise to
the Americans who had offered no provocation. The American party, in
charge of Colonel Hutchinson, was composed of additional officers, men,
and Chinese interpreters en route to join an American liaison and
instructional group already attached to the Chinese Ninth Army Group at
Wenshan. The American convoy of three trucks was halted by the
obstruction of the road by three Chinese civilian operated trucks.
Colonel Hutchinson, in charge of the American party, dismounted with the
intention of offering assistance in clearing the road, but it became
apparent immediately that the Chinese trucks were in the process of
being bandited by a group of armed Chinese. Several of the Chinese
approached the American trucks and demanded the surrender of firearms
and simultaneously opened fire, wounding Colonel Hutchinson, who, as he
fell, killed his immediate assailant and wounded another of the bandits.
The fight then became general. After approximately twenty minutes the
bandits were driven off and the Americans withdrew to Iliang with two
trucks, one having been disabled by gunfire.
The incident first came to my attention on the afternoon of October 16th,
but full details were not available until after the completion of an
American Army investigation carried out on October 17th. On October 18th
I called on the Special Delegate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
acquainted him with the details of the incident and the findings of the
American investigation, and insisted that the Provincial Chairman be
informed immediately. The Special Delegate was in touch with Lung Yun
shortly thereafter by telephone and my official note and Colonel Dorn’s
letter, a copy of which is also enclosed,14 were delivered to the Chairman by the office of
the Special Delegate on the following day. The Special Delegate
conferred with Lung Yun on the evening of October 20th and on October
21st called on me to acquaint me with the result of his conference with
the Chairman.
According to the Special Delegate the Chairman was deeply concerned over
the incident and had taken immediate steps to effect the apprehension of
the bandits and had sent a representative to the Post Hospital to make
inquiry as to the condition of the wounded American officers. The
Special Delegate stated that the magistrates of Iliang and Lunan had
been severely reprimanded and had been made responsible for an
investigation of the affair and the apprehension of the bandits, but
according to Lung Yun’s instructions, their efforts
[Page 724]
in this connection were under the personal
supervision of the Commissioner of People’s Affairs, Li Pei-t’ien. The
Special Delegate considered this latter step as being unusual and a
reflection of the concern of the Chairman. The Special Delegate was of
the opinion that the magistrates concerned were being continued in
office in order that they could not avoid responsibility by resignation
and he is convinced that they will be punished in due course, the weight
of punishment to be contingent upon the effectiveness of their actions
in apprehending the culprits in the present incident.
Immediately following its occurrence, the incident was reported to
General Stilwell15 and to General Ch’en Ch’eng, commander-in-chief of the
Chinese Expeditionary Force, by Colonel Frank Dorn, deputy chief of
staff USAFCBI. Colonel Dorn was informed almost immediately by the
headquarters of General Ch’en that, inasmuch as the incident had
occurred in an area under the control of the Provincial Government,
there was nothing that the Expeditionary Force could do and it was
suggested orally by officers of General Ch’en’s staff that strong action
be taken against the Provincial Government.
It seemed to me to be apparent that Central Government officials here,
including General Ch’en, although regretting the wounding of American
personnel by a lawless Chinese element, were not averse to taking
advantage of the situation and any American pressure resulting
therefrom, further to undermine the position of Lung Yun in Yunnan.
Needless to say, Colonel Dorn was justifiably incensed at the occurrence
and in the beginning was prepared to reveal the story to American
newspapermen here and offer them facilities for its transmission abroad.
I suggested to him that the threat of publicity was an effective
instrument in dealing with the case and it was agreed between us that
for the time being, at least, no publicity would be given the affair by
Branch Headquarters. Since then Colonel Dorn has been acquainted with
the contents of the Embassy’s telegram no. 57, October 21, 5 p.m.16 and I
believe that General Stilwell has disapproved Colonel Dorn’s suggestion
of publicity pending final action on the case. In this connection the
Embassy will please find enclosed a paraphrase of a message received at
Branch Headquarters on October 26th from New Delhi.17
As pointed out in my telegram no. 35, October 23, 1 p.m., the effect of
the incident on American military personnel here has been serious. There
has been prevalent for some time among American officers and enlisted
men a feeling that the Chinese, especially the Yunnanese, have been
doing little, if anything, to assist the war effort
[Page 725]
and the attack on an American convoy,
regardless of the fact that it was unpremeditated, has given rise to an
unfortunate, but understandable, attitude of
shoot-first-talk-afterwards.
As time goes on and offensive preparations develop, American liaison
groups will be stationed at a variety of places in the province. Five
groups are already in the field and additional personnel proceeding to
reenforce these and the establishment of new groups will result in a
considerable and almost constant movement of American ground force
personnel. The movement of such personnel will be in accord with the
exigencies of the military situation or to meet the requests of Chinese
commanders in the field and the American military authorities deem it
impracticable to notify the Provincial authorities of such movements in
advance. They also feel that inasmuch as the liaison and instructional
program has the approval of the highest Central Government military
authorities there is no reason to notify local authorities of individual
movements which are a part of the program as a whole. I have informed
the Special Delegate orally of the attitude of the American military
authorities in this respect and at the same time informed him that I
would expect to receive a report of the Provincial Government’s
investigation of the incident and the results of any steps taken to
apprehend the bandits. I have also intimated to the Special Delegate
that the public announcement of drastic disciplinary action against the
two magistrates involved might well have a salutary effect upon other
local officials in whose domains there was a tendency toward laxity in
the maintenance of peace and order and would at the same time have the
effect of helping to convince American personnel that the incident was
an isolated one and not necessarily representative of a common state of
affairs against which elaborate defensive measures would be necessary
and in the course of which nervous trigger fingers could easily lead to
future unpleasantness.
I will take no further action unless so instructed by the Embassy.
Respectfully yours,
