793.94 Commission/237
The Consul General at Mukden (Myers) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received June 6.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the League of Nations Commission of Inquiry arrived at Mukden on the evening of April 21, 1932, the American and Italian Commissioners and some members of the staff of the Commission by rail from Shanhaikwan and the British, French and German Commissioners and the remaining members of the Commission, including the Japanese and Chinese assessors, by train from Dairen. The Commission was met at the station by the Japanese Chief of Staff and other staff officers, the entire consular corps, Mayor Yen Chuan-fu of Mukden, officials of the South Manchuria Railway, a group of Japanese women and one of Japanese children, a delegation [Page 748] from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, press correspondents, photographers and a few foreigners. Acting Consul General Morishima, Mayor Yen and Major-General Hashimoto, Chief of Staff, officially greeted the Commissioners and introduced them to the Consuls and some others on the platform, after which they were escorted to the Yamato Hotel where they were presented with bouquets by little Japanese girls in gay colored kimonos. The two trains, it may be added, arrived twenty-five minutes apart.
The objections of the Manchoukuo regime to Dr. Wellington Koo, the Chinese Assessor, accompanying the Commission to Manchuria were given much press publicity and therefore only need be briefly referred to here. Finally, the Japanese Government guaranteed his protection while in the railway zone and he and his staff accompanied the Commissioners who travelled via Dairen. Reports in the press under date line of Changchun, April 22, stated that the Manchoukuo Government had decided to arrest Dr. Koo and other Chinese accompanying the Commission should they leave the railway zone and set foot on Manchoukuo soil, threatening the imposition of extreme penalties for their infringing the sovereign rights of Manchoukuo and disturbing peace and order. Both the Japanese and Manchoukuo police worked in perfect accord to prevent any members of the Chinese delegation leaving the railway settlement at Mukden, their secret service men keeping the members under close surveillance all the time. In fact, not only were they unable to leave the railway settlement but all Chinese except those who obtained permission from the Japanese were unable to see the Chinese assessor or members of his staff. Several Chinese who happened to meet members of his staff were arrested by the Japanese police—one by the Chinese police under Japanese orders, it is claimed,—and at least two of them were still being held yesterday. It is apparent that the Manchoukuo order, referred to above, was inspired not only by a desire to protect the Chinese assessor and his staff but also and primarily to prevent their getting in touch with local Chinese officials and others. According to reliable information precautions were taken to prevent any but fully approved representations being presented by the local population to the Commission, whose members also were duly protected by a secret service man attached to each motor car. The sequel to the threatened dire penalties on Dr. Koo was a message from General Honjo, delivered by the Japanese Chief of Staff on April 28 or 29 to the Commission, to the effect that Dr. Koo with a reduced staff (six members or the same number that the Japanese had in China) may accompany the Commission, no reference being made to any authorization having been received from Manchokuo.11 [Page 749] Accordingly Dr. Koo and his reduced staff left Mukden yesterday with the Commission and will accompany it throughout the tour. In this connection it may be mentioned that barriers were placed at the various points of exit from the Railway Settlement, and the Police guard at these points which included, I am reliably informed, Japanese plain clothes men were reinforced for the purpose of making a close inspection of all Chinese entering and leaving that area.
An unimportant instance of this constant surveillance to which all members of the Commission were subjected occurred on May 1st. After luncheon at the consulate, General McCoy instructed his motor car to return to the hotel as he would accompany me to the golf course where it was obvious from our dress we were going. His chauffeur who was accompanied by an English-speaking secret service man followed us to the golf club and when we left the General handed him his clubs to give to the hotel office with the statement that he would return with me. We then drove through the city and out to the arsenal and aviation field, his car with the secret service man on our heels all the time. The Yamato and Oriental Hotels, the latter was occupied only by part of the Chinese assessor’s staff, were filled with secret service men, at least several trunks were searched and rooms were frequently entered surreptitiously. The trunk of one member of the League staff was opened at least twice. Outside Dr. Wellington Koo’s room three secret service men were on duty all the time. This spying was quite obvious and was crudely done. Naturally it made a bad impression.
Some evidence of the preparations, obviously extensive, which were made by the Japanese for the coming of the Commission may be of interest. Statements from the Mukden Chamber of Commerce and Labor Association (a joint one), the Agricultural Association and a delegation of Korean farmers, in which the old regime was denounced, were presented to the Commission. That these were prepared under the direction of the Japanese there can be no doubt. The arrests mentioned above confirm reports heard before the arrival of the Commission that warnings were given to various leading Chinese to make no attempt to get in touch with the Commission, threats of arrest and the closing of their business having been made. It was learned among other things that on April 16 the Chamber of Commerce, acting under orders, was securing the “chops” of the principal shops on blank pieces of paper, the purpose of which was not made known to the merchants but was thought to relate to a statement to be submitted to the Commission (its submission has notl>een reported). However, the personal danger which confronts Chinese who oppose in any manner the new [Page 750] regime has not deterred many from writing personal and group letters to the Commission through the various consulates. Most of these communications are unsigned but others are signed. Approximately 600 such letters were sent through this office and over 200 through the British consulate.
Among the minor preparations may be mentioned the removal of sand bags in front of police boxes and other official establishments on some of the main thoroughfares, the repair of streets, the removal of anti-League posters and other propaganda material which were put up during some of the staged demonstrations—the wall of the Japanese consular compound was recently washed ostensibly for this purpose—and the taking from the local police force the arm bands bearing the seal of the Japanese gendarmery which had been worn up to a few days prior to the arrival of the Commission. Posters bearing the legends in English “Welcome Envoys of Peace” with a picture of a dove holding an olive branch, “Dawn from the East Peace from Geneva”, “Cooperate to make Manchoukuo the Geneva of the East” were put up in the Japanese Settlement and to a lesser extent in the Chinese area.
The formal inquiries of the Commission were confined during this visit to a call on and interview with the Acting Japanese Consul General on April 23 and to six conferences with Lieutenant-General Honjo, Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army, at Army Headquarters. No calls were exchanged with any members of the local government. During these conferences, it is understood, the official version of the railway incident on the night of September 18, 1931, and of the subsequent extension of the military occupation to the principal centers of Manchuria was expounded, all being explained as the exercise of the right of self-defence. Too, the system of political control at Mukden which was perforce set up as a result of the disappearance of the Chinese officials and police following the incident of September 18th as well as the recent discontinuance of this system with the abolition of the adviserships was explained. However, it may be interposed that these self-same advisers now occupy key positions in the government and control it as effectively as heretofore. As of possible interest, the brief news items in regard to the Commission’s conferences with General Honjo which were published in the Manchuria Daily News are enclosed herewith.12
The Japanese had prepared a tentative program for the Commission which included a round of dinners. No official invitations were accepted and the program was modified to meet its wishes. Its independence, it is believed, could not but have occasioned some disappointment on the part of the Japanese.
[Page 751]This office has endeavored to be of assistance in every way possible to General McCoy, the American Commissioner, and it is believed that he found the summary forwarded with my despatch No. 462 of April 18, 1932, helpful. I had several conferences with him and more frequent ones with Dr. Blakeslee who is associated with him. The General and other Americans on the Commission were entertained several times at the Consulate and were introduced to the members of the American community at an informal reception.
The Commission left Mukden at 9:50 a.m. yesterday by special train for Changchun where they expect to spend two days. On May 5th the Commission will visit Kirin and proceed to Harbin on the following day. According to present plans the Commission will be back in Mukden about May 16 for another visit of about one week’s duration.
Yours respectfully,