893.00/3567
The Consul General at Canton (Bergholz) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 18.]
Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 120 of September 1, 1920,40 informing the Department that I had advised the Legation at [Page 460] Peking by telegraph, on August 25, 1920, for transmission to the Department, of the welcome information conveyed to me by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Military Government that Peace Terms had been agreed upon between the North and the South which would, shortly, be made public, I now have the honor to inform the Department that the declaration of peace has been postponed, no doubt, owing to the revolt of General Chen Chiung Ming and his attack upon the Military Government, resulting in the capture of Swatow, and to the urgent representations of Dr. Wu Ting-fang, Tang Shao Yi, and Dr. Sun Yat Sen to Peking. These gentlemen are giving General Chen all the moral support possible if not all the financial aid at their disposal and hope, should he succeed in defeating the troops of the Military Government, which is most unlikely, to become the governing body by recovering their places on the Administrative Council which they still insist they hold, notwithstanding their removal by the Military Government and the appointment of their successors. They are, naturally, doing everything in their power to prevent an understanding between the North and the present Military Government so that, in the event of the latter being driven from power, they can make their own terms with the North and by selecting their own Military Governor, obtain control of all the functions of government now exercised by the South.
A copy of this despatch has been sent to the Legation at Peking.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩