Office of the Historian

793.94/9067

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck)

[Washington,] July 19, 1937.

I called on the Chinese Ambassador yesterday afternoon and stated that I had dropped in simply to ask for the latest information received by the Ambassador. I said that I had just been informed that a radio announcer had stated that two Japanese airplanes had attacked a Chinese train. Dr. Wang said that he had had a telegram stating that Japanese planes had bombed a Chinese troop train at a point south of Paotingfu and that 20 persons had been killed. He said that this was the only telegram that he had had all day. He said that he was glad that I had dropped in as he wanted to ask me what was my personal opinion with regard to the intent of the Japanese: were the Japanese “bluffing.” I replied that, speaking personally and unofficially, I thought that the Japanese “mean business”; that it appears that they are intent upon getting some new agreement. The Ambassador said: “They will not get an agreement.” I said that it looked as though they wanted to obtain withdrawal of the 29th Army. The Ambassador said: “They will not get that.” He said that there was no area to which the 29th Army could go. I inquired how many men there are in that Army. The Ambassador replied that there were about 12,000.

I said that I would like to ask for the Ambassador’s opinion as to whether our Ambassador, Mr. Johnson, should remain in Peiping: we had kept him there thus far because when the present incident began he was there and we had felt that an erroneous interpretation might be put upon a departure by him from there. The Ambassador said that he felt that it was preferable that our Ambassador remain in Peiping; and at a later point in the conversation he repeated his expression of that view.

I asked whether the Ambassador could tell me the facts with regard to Chiang Kai-shek. The Ambassador replied that it was his understanding that Chiang Kai-shek was still at Kuling. I said: “How about his health?” The Ambassador said that Chiang’s health was good but that, due to the injury to vertebrae, he is wearing a steel cast and has to be very careful about refraining from any sudden movements.