893.00/13803: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 20—12:15 p.m.]
627. Embassy’s 626, December 19, 3 p.m.15 The following is a translation of the circular telegram (which incidentally has not been published locally so far as known) allegedly issued by Chang Hsueh-liang on December 12 at Sian and signed by him and 18 other generals and one civilian leader, some of whom are, however, now apparently detained by Chang at Sian:
[Here follows introductory section of the circular telegram.]
The military and civilians in the Northwest unanimously maintain the following demands:
(1) Reorganize the Nanking Government and admit all parties to share the joint responsibility for saving the nation. (2) All [stop all] kinds of civil wars. (3) Immediately release the patriotic leaders arrested in Shanghai. (4) Release all political prisoners throughout the country. (5) Emancipate the patriotic movement of the people. (6) Safeguard the political freedom of the people to organize and call meetings. (7) [Actually] obey the words [will] of Dr. Sun Yat Sen. (8) Immediately call the National Salvation Conference. The above-mentioned eight items are the points of national salvation unanimously maintained by us and by all the military and civilians throughout the Northwest.
We, therefore, hope you gentlemen will stoop to mention [meet] public sentiment and sincerely adopt these demands, so as to open one line of life for the future, and cleanse your past guilt in ruining the country. The great cause is before us. It does not permit glancing backwards. We only hope to carry out thoroughly the policies [policy] maintained for national salvation and benefit to the country. As to merit or guilt, we leave this to the judgment of our fellow countrymen.
In sending this telegram we urgently await legislative action [await your] order.”16
I am inclined to vouch for the authenticity of the above telegram, but [sic] I believe it to be the circular issued by Chang since it was obtained from a northeastern army spokesman in Peiping. The spokesman is authority for the statement that the terms “startling changes in the international situation” and “nations are intriguing between one another” relate to the German-Japan-Italian agreements.
Inasmuch as text of telegram has apparently not been published here, I suggest that it be not given out for publication.
Seemingly authentic news releases from Canton indicate that Li Tsung Jen, Pai Chung Hsi and Li Chai Sum and others in Kwangsi have pledged their complete support to Nanking Government. It is believed that Chang Hsueh-liang expected sympathy from them in his objectives.
By mail to Tokyo.
- Not printed.↩
- This statement bore the names of the following: Chang Hsueh-liang, Yang Hu-cheng, Chu Hsiao-liang, Ma (Hung-kuei?), Yu Hsueh-chung, Chen Chen(g?), Shao Li-tze, Chiang Ting-wen, Tung Ying-pin, Wei Li-huang, Chien Ta-chun, Ho Chu-kuo, Feng Chin-tsai, Sun Wei-ju, Chen Chi-cheng, Wang I-che, Wan Yao-huang, and Miao Cheng-liu, some of whom were in the party of Generalissimo Chiang at Sian.↩