893.24/656: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 5—10:34 a.m.]
2897. Chauvel said today that he had authorized the following items which were published by Havas.
“Regarding the interview of November 30 given by the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs to the French Ambassador the spokesman for the Foreign Office made reference in the press conference held on the same day ‘to the traffic which continues across Indo-China of arms and ammunition destined for the Chinese national forces’.
It is regretted in authorized French circles to be obliged to repeat once more that such information regarding the reported transit via Indo-China of arms, ammunition and war supplies destined for China is false.”
[“]Furthermore, the Agence Domei issued the following report on December 1.
“‘According to a press report from Hong Kong, since the arrival of Monsieur Henri Cosme, French Ambassador to Chungking, Kuomintang leaders have urged the transportation into Indochina of arms and ammunition accumulated for the month at Tehen-nan-kouan92 where they will be secure. On the basis of reports received from Chungking, the French Ambassador has visited Chiang Kai Shek, Dr. Kung, Dr. Wang Chung Hui93 and other Kuomintang leaders.
The Kuomintang leaders have studied with Monsieur Cosme the state of transport to the interior and the importation in general of arms and ammunition by the Yunnan–Annam Railroad, and notably also the question of the transport of arms and ammunition now at Tchen-nan-kouan. It is reported that the value of the latter supplies reaches a figure of 10 million yuan dollars.’
It is hardly necessary to state that this so-called information is pure invention.”
Chauvel said that these denials are literally correct as France is not permitting the transit via Indo-China of arms and munitions as defined by the Geneva Convention of 1925 to which Japan is a party. It is true however that transit is allowed over this route for a host of other commodities.
Our informant went on to say that Nomura has just handed to the French Ambassador at Tokyo a lengthy list of Japanese demands on France which the Ambassador has mailed to Paris as too lengthy to cable. Chauvel said that the demands included references to Indo-Chinese wolfram and nickel as well as a condition that Japan be allowed to place inspectors in Indo-China itself to survey all shipments destined for China. According to Chauvel[’s] sketchy knowledge now available regarding these Japanese demands France will be required to refuse them all.
Chauvel said that he understood that the Japanese had as yet not [Page 769] advanced further than the suburbs of Nanning. He said that he understood that the Japanese had approximately three divisions and a substantial air force based at Pakhoi; that the next Japanese point of [attack?] would be an operation from Canton which would encircle the southern portion of Kwangtung proceeding along the Si-Kiang River and joining up with the forces now at Nanning. Japanese control would then extend to the Indo-Chinese frontier thus completing the operation which began with the occupation of Baclongvi [Cape Paklune?] in the Gulf of Tonkin and the subsequent landing at Hainan.