Office of the Historian

893.00/13811: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, December 22, 1936—11 a.m.
[Received December 22—2:26 a.m.]

371. T. V. Soong accompanied by Donald returned to Nanking by air yesterday. It is believed that T. V. is returning to Sian today possibly accompanied by Madame Chiang Kai-shek.19 Neither Donald [Page 446] nor T. V. brings very good news from Sian. Donald is reported to have said that real power at Sian is Yang Hu Cheng; that question of Chiang’s release might be settled except for the uncertainty of Yang’s attitude and those under him.

Sent to the Department, code texts to Peiping and Tokyo by mail.

Johnson
  1. Mr. Soong, Mme. Chiang, and W. H. Donald left by airplane for Sian that day.↩