893.00B/11–1445
The Navy Department to the Department of State 30
Excerpts from recent dispatches received from the Commander, Seventh Fleet, are paraphrased for the information of the Department of State:
“As of 10 November, the Generalissimo was exerting pressure on the Commanding General, China, for assistance by U.S. Forces in moving his troops into Manchuria. Reaction of the Commanding General is that the scope of the U.S. Mission does not include Manchuria, which is strictly a problem to be resolved by the Russians and Chinese. He adds that, on arrival at the Manchurian border of Chinese Forces, U.S. liaison resources and personnel will be withdrawn. Communists report that the Koito Iron Works in Peiping, which formerly supplied arms to the Japanese, still operating. A report from Yenan on 3 November claimed that Japanese troops were included in the Generalissimo’s forces in the drive to the south from Shih Kiachwang.”
“As of 11 November, Yenan reiterated claims that Japanese troops are presently employed by CNA and puppet troops in North China. Tientsin and Tsingtao reported quiet. The Commander, Seventh Fleet, is of the opinion that Communists are being shifted from Shantung to Manchuria for training and equipping, possibly with Russian assistance.”
“Large scale Communist activity was reported on 12 November in the Peiping, Tientsin, Ching Wang Tao area. A railroad bridge was damaged at Hsu-Ko-Chuan and a train was derailed at Tang Fang. The collision of two trains which occurred at Peitaiho was presumably deliberate. The Russians are said by an American observer to be widening the gauge of the North Manchuria Railroad, employing forced Japanese labor. He adds that large numbers of Japanese are serving in the Nationalist Forces in North China. The Commanding General, China, has refused to assist French Forces in Indo China on the basis that the U.S. might otherwise become involved in the internal struggle.”
“Also on 12 November, it was reliably reported that Chinese Communists in Wei Hai Wei and Chefoo are being supplied by the Russians with munitions and Chinese Forces from Dairen. Chou En Lai also made the statement but later denied it. Press and radio accusations by Chinese Communists concerning ‘intervention by the U.S. in [Page 627] the Chinese civil struggle’ are designed to force the recall of our forces by demands of isolationist and Communist groups in the U.S.”
Rear Admiral, USN.
- Sent from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to the Division of Foreign Activity Correlation.↩