893.00B/4–249: Telegram
The Consul at Dairen (Paddock) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 2—6:52 a. m.]
92. Re two immediate preceding telegrams dated April 1,12 Kwantung Chinese Communist Party has come out of glass hiding place as of today and ostensibly assumed responsibility for Kwantung government. Contel sent Nanking 51, repeated Department 79,10 Shanghai 77, Moscow 37, March 19. Heretofore Kwantung government publicly blamed, not top part of Communist China, and this position upheld by Soviets.
All public buildings, police stations, Soviet and Kwantung government-controlled commercial camps et cetera decorated today with Soviet flags and with what is apparently Chinese Communist flag (red field; yellow hammer, sickle and yellow outline of star), formerly [Page 864] Chinese national flag crossed with Soviet flag on public occasions. In many cases “white star on blue field[”] of Chinese national flag merely cut out and hammer, sickle, star sewed in its place.
Sent Department 92, repeated Nanking, Shanghai 86, Moscow 45, Seoul 15, Peiping 2.