893.51/4283: Telegram
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:10 p.m.]
130. My 127, April 28, 4 p.m.12 In view of the multiplying rumors of war between Chihli and Fengtien forces and convincing [Page 507] evidence that troops and supplies were being pushed forward by both sides greatly to the anxiety of civilian population, the American, French and British Ministers and Japanese Chargé d’Affaires had a conference with Prime Minister this afternoon in which we informed him of the position we had taken with regard to Minister of Finance’s proposal for a loan from the Consortium, and declared we should be compelled to withdraw the recommendations we had made to our respective Governments, if fighting was likely to occur in North China. We acknowledged the receipt of assurances from the Chinese Government that the popular anxiety was without foundation, and stated that we had read similar assurances in the newspapers from the highest military authorities on both sides, but we could not reconcile with these declarations the indisputable facts of the advance of troops and the requisition of carts, etc. While we believed that the Government and the leaders on both sides did not desire war, we apprehended an outbreak of hostilities as a mere result of the juxtaposition of armies whose outposts were now in contact with one another. We suggested that, as a guarantee of peace, the forces on both sides be withdrawn and a neutral zone established, and that the Central Government direct that such steps be immediately taken. Prime Minister replied that his emissaries had just returned from Mukden and would go tomorrow to Paotingfu, and that he could now assure us that the crisis was passed. For this reason he had been hopeful of peace, now he was confident of it. He added that he had good ground for believing, not only Chang Tso-lin, as well as the Chihli leaders, would withdraw their troops from their present advanced positions, but that the former would also soon declare his allegiance to the Peking Government.
Prime Minister thanked us for our benevolent helpfulness to China. We said that our Governments, who would strongly deprecate the outbreak of hostilities, were desirous of helping China in all proper ways to maintain peace for the benefit of the Chinese people. A copy of this message has been mailed to Tokyo.