Office of the Historian

793.94/7430: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State

Peiping, November 25, 1935—noon.
[Received 2:20 p.m.]

175. Embassy’s 173, November 24, 11 a.m. [p.m.?]49 Yin Ju-keng and other officials of the demilitarized zone issued an announcement last night of the establishment of the Eastern Hopei Communist Northern [Prevention?] Autonomous Council to govern the 22 hsien of the demilitarized zone by means of a commission of nine members including the commanders of five detachments of the Peace Preservation Corps of the zone. A circular telegram to the same effect was simultaneously sent to the leading officials of North China. The announcement contained a strong denunciation of the Kuomintang for its (1) maladministration, (2) assisting class conflict and bringing on the terrors of communism, (3) destruction of the ancient Confucian musts, (4) responsibility for famines, (5) blundering foreign policies and (6) financial errors. The announcement states that from today the demilitarized zone will be separated from the Central Government and will be beginnnig of a federation of the [Northern?] provinces.

2.
It is presumed that Yin Ju-keng is making this move not only because he is exceptionally pro-Japanese allegedly but because his telegram of November 15 (Embassy’s 57 [157], November 18, 6 p.m.) which critized the Kuomintang probably ended his chances of getting any job under the Kuomintang in the future.
3.
According to reliable informants the situation in Tientsin is tense. It is expected that a subversive movement may develop there shortly looking toward creation of autonomy in North China. A meeting was reputedly held November 23 at Chih Yu-san’s house in this connection and handbills were distributed yesterday denouncing the Kuomintang. There were seen this morning several trucks containing armed soldiers with inscriptions on the trucks to the effect that they belonged to “the death-defying army” of an autonomous government.
4.
From all information obtainable by the Embassy it appears that autonomy is desired only by certain Japanese and a few self-interested Chinese. However, as Chinese troops cannot enter the demilitarized zone of Tientsin the present situation will presumably be difficult for the Chinese authorities to deal with.

Repeated to Nanking and Shanghai, by mail to Tokyo.

Lockhart
  1. Not printed.↩