124.9318/194
The Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck) to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)
Dear Nelson: Kef erring further to your letter of October 9, 1935, and my acknowledgment of November 11,4 especially the last paragraph of your letter (wherein you mention the matter of possible gradual reduction of our Guard at Peiping and of the 15th Infantry at Tientsin),—
The Department has sent you, I understand, copies of a letter from5 and the Department’s reply6 to the War Department, recently, on the subject of possible withdrawal of the 15th Infantry. Subsequent to the sending of our reply, there has been brought to our attention a report by General Kilbourne,7 dated Manila December 28, 1935, entitled “Observations Concerning Situation in North China”,7a in the course of which General Kilbourne makes statements which indicate that his reasoning with regard to the usefulness of the presence of the Protocol Forces in North China is in line with ours, and he makes in particular this statement:
“2. My former opinion was that our troops should be given a definite mission or withdrawn; I felt that their presence was more liable [Page 535] to cause international friction than to prevent it. However, after close contact with the local situation, I believe this is a danger we must accept, and that the troops should remain. The Legation Guard in Peiping is an absolute necessity.”
Although I understand that some officers in the War Department are not entirely convinced, I think that Ave may rest assured that the War Department will not make any new moves or recommendations in this matter without first conferring with us.
We have not failed to give thought to the question of possible “gradual reduction”, but our conclusion is to the effect that it would not be advisable.
The idea now is to proceed on the principle of maintenance of the status quo.
Yours sincerely,