740.0011 Pacific War/3760
The Ambassador in China ( Gauss ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 6.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of a memorandum of February 11, 1944,67 prepared by Second Secretary John S. Service, on detail to General Stilwell’s staff, in regard to the gradual extension of Japanese-occupied areas in China.
Summary. According to figures obtained by a foreign newspaper correspondent from an official of the Executive Yuan, there has been since January 1939 a slow but steady decrease in the number of hsien Tinder the complete control of the Central Government and a corresponding increase in the number of hsien partly or wholly under Japanese control in the twelve war zone provinces. As the beginning of the period (figures are given in an attached table) is after the fall of Canton and Hankow and the completion of large-scale Japanese penetration into China, these figures indicate a gradual expansion and consolidation of Japanese control. In a press conference on February 2, the Government spokesman explained the omission of Hopei from the list of figures by stating that this province is entirely under Japanese occupation. Actually much of Hopei Province is under Chinese control, although the control is Communist rather than Central Government; it is probably for this reason that the spokesman was unwilling to admit that Hopei was not completely occupied by the Japanese. End of Summary.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩