[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government,
CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[August 26.]
SECTION 2.
F 3198/102/10]
No. 1.
Sir O. Eliot to the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston.-(Received August 26.)
(No. 392.)
HIS Majesty's representative at Tokyo presents his compliments to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and has the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a memorandum from His Majesty's consul at Tokyo, dated the 6th July, respecting the Japanese intelligence organisation in China.
(Copy to Peking.)
Tokyo, July 27, 1921.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Memorandum respecting Japanese Intelligence Organisation in China.
(Confidential.)
THE Imperial General Staff maintains a large staff of officers all over China, ustensibly to study Chinese, but in reality to supply information on subjects which may be of interest to the military authorities. Officers stationed in the north of China send their reports to Major-General Higashi, who is in general control over them. These reports are forwarded to the General Staff through the Japanese Legation at Peking, Officers stationed in the south of China transmit their reports through the nearest Japanese consulate. Instructions to officers and funds are transmitted through the
same sources.
Officers furnish reports on the districts in which they reside, or which they are directed to visit, and on the following subjects: General military organisation, strategic features of the country, nature of the people inhabiting it and their martial qualities (if any), education, customs, communications, posts and telegraphs, climatic conditions, geographical features, history, hygiene, agriculture, stock-breeding, industries, currency, trade, food supplies, general financial condition, commerce, laws and regulations, influential personalities, wealthy persons, persons likely to be sympathetic towards Japan, mines, &c.
Each officer before starting for China presents himself at the General Staff in full-dress uniform and receives his instructions by word of mouth from the Vice-Chief of the General Staff or high officer in the War Department. Instructions are never committed to writing, and it is impressed upon the officer that he is to shirk no hardships in fulfilling his mission.
Pupily of the Dobunsho-in (Tungwen College) at Shanghai, who have shown ability during their course of study, spend the last six months of their three years' course in travelling in certain districts in China indicated to them, and furnish reports on subjects specified to them. These reports are sent in in duplicate, one copy being kept by the college and the other sent to the Foreign Office and General Staff if it is considered to be of value. The director of the college is Lieutenant-Colonel Hajime Nezu, an officer on the retired list. The college receives monetary assistance from the Japanese Foreign Office to the amount of 600,000 yen a year.
The General Staff is said to draw its funds for the maintenance of officers in China and other secret service expenditure from the large surplus still remaining over from the Russo-Japanese War and the accumulated interest thereon, from the sume realised at Tsingtao on the import of opium, from the expenses of the expeditionary force in Siberia and from Government contracts.
C. J. D.
July 6, 1921.
[6735 cc- -2]
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