793.94/11923: Telegram
The Consul General at Canton (Linnell) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 1, 1938—10:45 a.m.]
My December 30, 5 p.m.65 Yesterday’s raid of Sachuan industrial section of Canton included four bombs on and near site of Union Normal School, an American institution under joint management of American Presbyterian and United Brethren in Christ Mission. School personnel had removed to Toishan 2 months ago and property appeared to be partially occupied by troops, a circumstance which had [Page 848] not been reported to this office. Property damage confined to demolition of one of the school’s less important buildings. One soldier killed, three wounded. Objectives of these and other bombs in same general area [may have been] factories power plant or military concentrations. Reported that military hospital hit and several resultant casualties but no other American damage.
Raiding of southern sections of Canton–Hong Kong and Canton–Hankow Railway has continued daily: particularly heavy bombing of Shekling bridges and Pakong on 29th. Telephone telegraphic communications along both lines have been repeatedly cut but damage to tracks not serious.
While more intelligent Chinese regard American action in response to Panay incident as reasonably strong, [closure] of the incident has much disappointed many who had [confidently] hoped for immediate concerted positive action against Japan by America and Britain; and vernacular press has reverted to allegation that American policy is still dictated by shortsighted moneyed interests without regard for “Japanese menace” to America and world peace.
Such disappointment in the democratic powers together with reports convincing local Chinese that Russia has promised substantial aid is serving to increase leaning toward Russia as the only nation to be counted on for immediate material assistance and apparently to make the public sympathetic to reported impending reorganization of Government on more radical lines. At the same time there have been signs of increasing suspicion and hostility toward Fascist countries and their nationals in this area.
There are, however, no indications that these tendencies presage any spread Communist doctrine.
Mailed Hong Kong, Swatow.
- Not printed.↩