Office of the Historian

793.94/7405: Telegram

The Chargé in Japan (Neville) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, November 20, 1935—4 p.m.
[Received November 20—8:15 a.m.]

212. Referring to Peiping’s 151, November 16, noon and 154, November 18, 2 p.m. in regard to reports of Japanese troop movements toward North China.

1.
The Military Attaché of the Embassy has been informed by a liaison officer of the War Office that
(a)
The prohibition of the movement of troops of the Kwantung Army below the Wall referred to in paragraph 3 of the Embassy’s 128, June 11, 6 [5?] p.m. is still in force.
(b)
Should the Nanking troops attempt to move into Hopei, however, the Japanese Army will be compelled to take action implying that in such case imperial sanction will be forthcoming.
(c)
The Japanese garrison at Shanhaikwan has in fact been strengthened by some 2,000 odd men drawn from other units in Manchuria.
(d)
The Japanese Army authorities continue to be suspicious of Chiang Kai-shek and believe that he has come to some agreement with the communist troops in Szechuan who are escaping to the northern provinces of China.
2.
The Embassy has been unable to obtain further official information in regard to Japanese activities and intentions in North China but the vernacular newspapers reported that the Foreign Office instructions to Ariyoshi are to inform Chiang Kai-shek that Japan views the autonomy movement in North China as an affair concerning only the Chinese people but that Japan is interested because of the propinquity of the region to “Manchukuo” and desires that the Nanking Government recognize the true nature of the autonomy movement.
4. [3?]
According to the Yomiuri, the policy of the Japanese Army toward the autonomy movement is:
(a)
To give positive assistance to the movement as long as the new regime pursues a policy of combatting communism and seeking friendship with Japan and “Manchukuo.”
(b)
To prohibit the Nanking troops from entering Hopei and to use armed protection if Japanese interests are endangered by movements of Nanking troops in other provinces of North China.
(c)
To avoid suspicion that the Japanese Army intends to create a second “Manchukuo” in North China.

Repeated to Peiping.

Neville