Office of the Historian

740.011 Pacific War/1527

The Military Attaché in China (Mayer) to the War Department 59

Chungking, December 20, 1941—11:22 a.m.

121. There are many near relations of Chinese leaders in Hongkong and the imminent fall of that place will put these in jeopardy and they will probably be used by the Japanese as hostages to force the Chungking Government to surrender. The prospective loss of the smuggling trade to free China will be a serious blow, as well as the loss of Americo-British face. Good news of some sort is seriously needed in Chungking.

Mayer
  1. Telegram received by the War Department on December 20, 2:08 p.m.; paraphrase transmitted to the Department of State, December 22.↩