893.00/12396: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 29—5:50 a.m.]
According to the Yi Shih Pao, special train carrying newly appointed magistrates and commissioners and newly organized police force for Luantung area proceeding as far as Shanhaikwan distributing officials and police guard at important points but on arriving Shanhaikwan large number Japanese gendarmes and Manchukuo police suddenly appeared at station and refused to let police leave train in absence of orders and requested that police be withdrawn which was done at 11:30 yesterday morning after lengthy negotiation. Except for this development taking over of Luantung zone by the Chinese is being accomplished with fair degree of smoothness but Tangshan-Shanhaikwan section of the railway still being operated by Japanese.