793.94/4957: Telegram
The Consul General at Nanking (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 4—9:35 a.m.]
75. H. H. Kung who is in the innermost Government and Party councils called April 4, 11 a.m., to tell me very confidentially that Chiang Kai-shek and others in the Chinese Government wished to ascertain whether the American Government would make available to the Chinese Government for use against Japan surplus stocks of war material. Kung expressed the belief of the Chinese Government that unless the present attempt of Japan to acquire control of Manchuria were foiled, war between Japan and the United States in the immediate future would be inevitable. He insisted that in respect to the violation of international law and covenants and in provocation to a world war the present invasion of Manchuria and the invasion of Belgium by Germany were exactly parallel. He said that China was both willing and able to expel Japan from Manchuria but was without the necessary military equipment and would be obliged to acquire such equipment on credit. The Chinese Government therefore was very anxious to [Page 664] know, he said, whether the American Government would supply equipment on credit either directly or through private American firms in order that China might wage warfare which would be equally in defense of China and of your ideals as opposed to Japanese imperialism. He regretted that the urgency of the matter did not permit him to await his return to Shanghai to place this inquiry with the American Government [Minister?].
Repeated to the American Minister only.