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893.00/13411: Telegram

The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State

SHANGHAI, March 19, 1936-4 p. m. [Received March 19-11: 15 a. m.]

165. Informed by China Inland Mission that it has received a telegram [from] Shansi superintendent dated Hungtung, March 18, 4 p. m., decoding [decoded] as follows:

"It is reported here and generally believed that Communists quite unexpectedly arrived yesterday Hwochow[?]-Chaocheng. Cannot give even approximate number of [Communists?]. Railway services suspended. Hungtung missionaries inside city. (S. G. D.) Trudinger."

In that area are Americans, Claude H. Thomas, wife, two children. Repeated to the Department, Peiping, Nanking and Tientsin.

GAUSS

893.00/13412: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State

NANKING, March 20, 1936-noon. [Received March 20-7 a. m.]

58. Shanghai's 164 [165], March 19, 4 p. m. Embassy is informing Foreign Office and requesting that military authorities be directed to afford adequate protection to Americans at Hungtung. Shanghai informed of action taken.

PECK

893.00/13413: Telegram

The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State

SHANGHAI, March 21, 1936-noon. [Received March 21-7:30 a. m.]

170. My 164 [165], March 19, 4 p. m. Shanghai office China Inland Mission now states has received messages from Linfen (Pingyangfu) and Taiyuan that Hungtung communications cut. Missionaries at Linfen are British and have requested evacuation by airplane. Repeated to Peiping, Nanking and Tientsin.

GAUSS

893.00/13416: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

PEIPING, March 22, 1936-4 p. m. [Received March 22-6:48 a. m.]

144. Shanghai's 164 [165], March 19, 4 p. m. The following Americans who left Taiku, Shansi, March 20th arrived Peiping last night: Mrs. Judd and two children, Mrs. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Burton and two children, Mr. Huber, Miss Munger and mother, and Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Judd reports following Americans still in Taiku: Dr. and Mrs. Wilbur, Miss Heebner, Miss Hemingway, Miss Williams, Miss Cade, Mr. Strong, Miss Cheny, and Miss Hamilton. She also reports following Americans still in Fenchow: Dr. Judd, Mr. Matthews, Miss Horn, Miss Meebold, Miss McClure, and Miss Noreen. Moyer family due to arrive Peiping tonight.

No information available here regarding Thomas family referred to in Shanghai's 164 [165], March 19, 4 p. m. Tientsin informed by telephone.

Telegraph Administration reports inability to deliver telegrams to Fenchow.

JOHNSON

893.00/13417: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

Peiping, March 23, 1936-9 a. m. [Received March 22-11: 20 p. m.]

145. Embassy's 144, March 22, 4 p. m. Misses Hamilton, Cade and Cheny arrived in Peiping last night.

This telegram and Embassy's 144, March 22, 4 p. m. have been repeated to Nanking and Shanghai.

JOHNSON

893.00/13422: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State

NANKING, March 24, 1936-10 a. m. [Received March 24-6: 30 a. m.]

62. Tientsin's telegram March 22, 10 a. m. On March 23, 4 p. m. the Foreign Office informed me that on the evening of March 21 it had telegraphed to the Shansi Provincial authorities regarding the Thomas family at Hungtung and not having received any [reply]

again telegraphed on March 23rd. I called attention to Reuter telegram dated Peiping, March 22, stating that Government troops were near Chiehhsien, 74 miles south of Linfen, and urged that orders be sent to these troops to rescue the Thomas family. The Foreign Office promised to ask the Military Affairs Committee to send such orders. An attempt here to telegraph to Hungtung, March 23, 4 p. m. failed and notification was received from Taiyuan that both telegraph and postal communications were still interrupted.

Repeated to Peiping, Tientsin and Shanghai.

PECK

893.00/13423: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State

NANKING, March 24, 1936-noon. [Received March 24-10: 10 a. m.]

63. My 62, March 24, 10 a. m. to the Department. The Foreign Office has just telephoned that the Shansi Provincial Government has reported that instructions have been issued to the military forces in the Hungtung area to take special measures for the protection of foreign residents and that it is expected that the Communists in that area will be suppressed shortly. The Foreign Office on the evening of March 23 sent an urgent request to the Military Affairs Committee that it issue instructions to Government troops in South Shansi to rescue foreign residents threatened by Communist bands.

The Foreign Office promised to telegraph immediately to the Shansi Provincial Government for a brief report and explanation of the report contained in telegram from Shanghai to the Department No. 178, March 23, 7 p. m.

64

PECK

893.00/13424: Telegram

The Consul General at Tientsin (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State

TIENTSIN, March 24, 1936-4 p. m. [Received March 24-9:50 a. m.]

Following telegram received today from Matthews, Fenyang: "The six of us living in Fenyang are not in danger, please don't worry." It is believed that the six are Dr. Walter Henry Judd, or [and?] Harold Shepherd Matthews, Miss Josie Elinor Horn, Miss Louise Meebold, Miss Louise McClure, and Miss Emma Bertha Noreen.

CALDWELL

"Not printed.

893.00/13429: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State

64. My 63, March 24, noon.

NANKING, March 26, 1936-9 a. m. [Received March 26-6: 33 a. m.]

1. March 25, 4 p. m., I discussed with Vice Minister Hsu Mo 65 Reuter's report dated Peiping, March 25 that Hungtung had been occupied by Communist forces. He said the Foreign Office had received no information to this effect.

2. March 25, 7 p. m., the Foreign Office telephoned that the Military Affairs Committee thought it most unlikely that Hungtung and Linfen where there are many British missionaries had been occupied by such forces and that the report had been inspired from "certain source." The Committee stated that four divisions of Government troops are in the area affected and that no anxiety need be felt for the safety of American citizens at Hungtung. Special instructions had been issued by the Committee to commanders in Shansi to rescue foreigners. I replied that the Embassy still felt great concern and pointed out that for about 1 week no reliable information concerning the fate of Hungtung had been received. I suggested that a military plane reconnoitering could at least ascertain whether Hungtung had been seized by the Communist forces and urged that accurate information be obtained. The Foreign Office assured me the Government was doing its utmost to safeguard foreign lives.

3. March 26, 9 a. m., the Foreign Office telephoned that a telegram had been received from the Shansi Provincial Government that there was absolutely no foundation for the report of the capture of Hungtung by the Communists; that the Communists had no equipment with which to make such an attack; that the Communist forces between Linfen and Hungtung were being "squeezed out" by Government troops approaching from the north and south; and that no serious anxiety need be felt for American citizens at Hungtung. The Foreign Office said that apparently Linfen was not mentioned because the telegram was in reply to a specific inquiry concerning Hungtung. Repeated to Peiping, Shanghai and Tientsin.

65 Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.

PECK

893.00/13431: Telegram

The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State

NANKING, March 27, 1936-9 a. m. [Received 9:20 a. m.]

66. 1. My 64, March 26, 9 a. m. 1. Central News Agency late March 26th published a statement which was issued by the Foreign Office, substance being as follows: Reports of capture of Hungtung and Linfen (Pingyangfu) by Communists are denied by authoritative quarters which state that the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 25th Divisions have already arrived at Lingshi to assist Provincial forces and that with this large concentration of troops the Government can adequately cope with the situation. Reports of the fall of Hungtung and Linfen probably arose from "temporary suspension of passenger traffic on a section of the Tung Pass-Pu [Chow] Railway south of Lingshi due to heavy demand on its rolling stock". The Shansi Provincial Government has telegraphed that: The Southern and Northern Route Armies (presumably Shansi armies) have been ordered to launch simultaneous attacks on the Communists between Hungtung and Linfen; that strong precautions have been taken to guard the two walled cities; and that since the Communists do not possess artillery there is no cause for alarm as to safety of residents. Nanking authorities are paying the greatest attention to the safety of foreign missionaries in menaced areas and the Shansi Provincial authorities have been instructed to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of foreign missionaries, and to utilize the best means to evacuate them if necessary.

2. The agency despatch goes on to say that it has confirmed from official sources that Hungtung and Linfen are still occupied by Government troops; and that a telegram from Yangku (Taiyuanfu) received the morning of March 26 states that two columns of Government troops are closing on the Communists between Hungtung and Linfen and speaks of the certainty of soon raising the siege of the two cities.

3. The communiqué's explanation of the interruption of the railway is obviously not to be credited. It is known that postal and telegraph communications with Hungtung and Linfen are interrupted and that trains are not proceeding south of Yangku beyond Nankwan (just south of Sukow). So far as is known no messages have been received from residents of the two cities or from the troops which are allegedly occupying them although such troops would probably possess radio sending apparatus.

4. Repeated to Peiping, Tientsin, Shanghai.

PECK

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