793.94/8111: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 26—7:18 a.m.]
250. 1. Suma this morning gave me an oral account of the Chengtu incident of August 24, 6 p.m. briefly as follows:
Following the Mukden incident five Japanese Consular offices in West China were closed and the Consulate General at Chengtu which had been maintained for 18 years has been the last to be reopened. Having duly informed the Chinese Foreign Office of the intention to reopen Chengtu and receiving no objection the Japanese Government recently sent an officer to Szechwan but when he arrived at Chungking about August 18, he was refused transportation on the commercial airline and a garage keeper even canceled contract already concluded to store his motor stock. Moreover this officer was stoned on the streets. On August 24, 4 Japanese comprising 2 newspaper reporters, 1 employee of the South Manchuria Railway and 1 merchant all provided with visaed passports arrived in Chengtu from Chungking presumably by plane and at 6 o’clock were attacked by anti-Japanese mass meeting of about 2000 persons. Chinese reports reaching Suma state that 2 of the party were killed, 1 wounded and 1 missing. Chaucer Wu, representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Chungking, telegraphed 24 hours after the event that 2 Japanese were missing and 2 wounded as a result of the attack. Suma instructed 2 officers of the Consulate at Chungking to proceed immediately to Chengtu to ascertain facts and it is thought that they went August 25th by plane.
2. Suma having a presentiment that serious trouble was brewing presented strongly worded note verbale to the Foreign Office August 24 just before the attack. This communication described the agitation in Szechwan against the reopening of the Consulate General at Chengtu and the treatment accorded Japanese officials in Chungking as being “assaults” and inconsistent with good relations between [Page 273] China and Japan. Further representations will be made after the Japanese official report has been received.
3. Suma expressed to me his belief that the agitation against the reopening of the Consulate General has been deliberately fomented by officials of the Nanking Government although Liu Hsiang, Provisional [Provincial?] Chairman of Szechwan, being a pro-Kwangsi and anti-Chiang Kai Shek politician may also have been inciting it.
4. Suma informed me that the adjustment of Sino-Japanese relations had been at a standstill since the assassination of Vice Minister Tang Yu Jen December 25 last except for a constant exchange of notes of protest and I received the impression that if the Chengtu incident turns out to have been sufficiently serious it will be utilized as a means of accelerating this. Although of course deploring the incidents at Chungking and Chengtu and the consequent damage to Sino-Japanese friendship, Suma appeared pleased at the opportunity thus presented to bring pressure to bear on Chiang Kai Shek and the National Government.