that General Ho Ying-ch'in on his own part hoped they would be made effective. Subsequent actions of the Chinese authorities have not run counter to the Japanese desires expressed last June, and the circumstantial evidence inclines one to believe in the genuineness of the documents submitted herewith. Any additional information which may come to light regarding this general matter will be forwarded promptly to the Department. Respectfully yours, 711.94/1102 NELSON TRUSLER JOHNSON The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State No. 337 PEIPING, March 27, 1936. [Received April 20.] SIR: I have the honor to refer to the Embassy's telegram No. 60 of February 13, 4 p. m.,22 regarding the local reaction to Senator Pittman's speech of February 10, and to enclose for the information of the Department copies of two memoranda dated February 13 and February 14, 1936, respectively,23 of conversations with Finance Minister H. H. Kung and Foreign Minister Chang Ch'ün in which both of these gentlemen expressed themselves as pleased with the sentiments of the Senator's speech. It will be observed that Dr. Kung at the same time indicated that the Chinese would have found the American silver policy more advantageous to themselves if they had been ready to take advantage of the opportunities it offered. Respectfully yours, 793.94/7819: Telegram NELSON TRUSLER JOHNSON The Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck) to the Secretary of State NANKING, March 28, 1936-9 a. m. [Received March 28-7 a. m.] 67. 1. An official of the Foreign Office has informed an officer that he thought Chiang Kai Shek had recently met Sung Che Yuan in Kaifeng to discuss the North China situation, the most immediate problem being criticism against Sung by the Japanese military which probably presages an attempt to replace Sung if a suitable substitute can be found. He concurred in the general impression here and in Peiping (see Peiping's 147, March 24, 8 p. m., paragraph 4 22) that developments in North China must await clarification of the situation "Not printed. 23 Neither printed. in Tokyo but he expressed the opinion that a renewal of Japanese pressure upon the Chinese Government could be expected in less than 2 months time. 2. He denied reports that in the March 16-19 conversations between the Japanese Ambassador and the Minister for Foreign Affairs the former had insisted that China had accepted Hirota's so-called three points or insisted that they must form the basis of discussion. He said, however, that Arita had brought up for discussion the "concrete measures" which were implied by the three points and that in general both officials had "laid their cards on the table so that each Government knew where the other stood." 3. He stated that the Japanese Government had not yet made known to the Chinese Government any nominee to replace Arita and assumed that this question awaits Arita's return to Japan. 4. By mail to Tokyo. PECK 761.93 Outer Mongolia/4: Telegram The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State Moscow, March 28, 1936-3 p. m. [Received March 28-11:35 a. m.] 93. A Tass telegram from Ulan-Bator published in today's Izvestia states that the 20th session of the small Hural approved the future of the Government of the Mongolian People's Republic, "in particular the agreement between the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic concerning mutual assistance". This constitutes the first semiofficial admission by the Soviet Government that an agreement involving mutual assistance between the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic has been concluded. The Soviet Government has evaded hitherto all questions on this subject in order to avoid being accused of "imperialism". Dr. Yen, Chinese Ambassador, before his departure for Berlin (where he is now extremely ill) informed me that he had asked Stomoniakoff how the Soviet Government could reconcile Stalin's statements to Howard anent Outer Mongolia with the Soviet Government's continued assurances to the Government of China that the Soviet Government still respected Chinese sovereignty over Outer Mongolia. On Tuesday Stomoniakoff replied by a question "Would you rather have Outer Mongolia in the hands of the Japanese?" We are informed today by the Chinese Embassy that the Chinese Government had made no official protest and that no such protest may be expected. The Japanese Embassy informs us that Japan will continue unalterably to regard Outer Mongolia as an integral part of China under Chinese sovereignty. There is of course little fundamental difference between the present position of Outer Mongolia and that of the non-Russian Constituent Republics within the Soviet Union. 762.94/72 BULLITT The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State No. 1753 TOKYO, March 30, 1936. [Received April 20.] SIR: I have the honor to refer to the Department's instructions No. 945, dated February 18, 1936, and 958, dated February 24, 1936,25 both transmitting copies of despatches and reports in regard to an alleged military agreement between Germany and Japan, obviously supposed to be directed against the Soviet Union. Although the spokesman of the Japanese Foreign Office on January 17, 1936, asserted that the reports of a German-Japanese military alliance were "entirely false", the Embassy has been endeavoring to ascertain what, if anything, lay behind the persistent rumors of some sort of German-Japanese alliance. The First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy in Tokyo recently informed a member of the staff of this Embassy that the Soviet Embassy had received information that an agreement did in fact exist between Germany and Japan, but that it was entirely a military agreement, concluded between military officers of both governments. The Foreign Offices of the two governments, according to the Soviet First Secretary, were not involved in the conclusion of the agreement and may not even be aware of its existence. He did not, however, know the terms of the alleged agreement, except that they were directed at the Soviet Union. In a recent conversation between a member of the staff of this Embassy and the German Military Attaché in Tokyo, the subject of the alleged military agreement between Germany and Japan was brought up. Although he was not asked directly whether or not such an agreement existed, the Military Attaché implied that no concrete agreement had been concluded and that the only agreement which Germany would consider would be some sort of consultative pact, to become operative should it appear desirable or necessary at some future time to attack Soviet Russia from both the east and the west.26 Respectfully yours, JOSEPH C. GREW 25 Neither printed, but see despatch No. 2617, January 22, from the Ambassador in Germany, p. 19, and report of January 30, by the Military Attaché in Germany, p. 31. For correspondence concerning the German-Japanese accord of November 25, 1936, against the Communist International, see vol. 1, pp. 390 ff. 693.943/5: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson) WASHINGTON, April 1, 1936-noon. 70. Reference Dairen's despatch of February 26 addressed to Embassy at Tokyo 27 in regard to reported tariff agreement between the authorities of the "autonomous" area of North China and those of Japan. Department assumes that you are already studying the situation under reference and that in due course you will inform the Department of the results of your investigation.28 HULL 893.01 Outer Mongolia/86 : Telegram The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State Moscow, April 1, 1936-2 p. m. [Received April 1-12:05 p. m.] 95. The Soviet press this morning reports that fighting is in progress between "Japano-Manchurian detachments and forces of the Mongolian People's Republic" and alleges that the fighting is taking place at a point 45 kilometers inside Mongolian territory. The Soviet press also publishes a long statement on frontier incidents which concludes "Stomoniakoff reminded the Ambassador (Ohta) of the reiterated statements made by the Soviet Government in Tokyo and in Moscow to the effect that the Soviet Government is interested, from the point of view of the interests of peace as well as the security of its own borders, in the maintenance of peace on the MongoloManchurian border. Stomoniakoff noted that on February 21 he had informed Ohta of the obligation undertaken by the Soviet Union to render assistance to the Mongolian People's Republic in the event of a third party attacking it. This obligation has been actually in existence since 1921 when the Soviet and Mongolian Governments defending themselves against a common attack on their territories agreed to render each other mutual assistance. This oral obligation took the form of a protocol on mutual assistance signed in Ulanbator on March 13th of this year". I asked Krestinsky, acting Commissar for Foreign Affairs, if this treaty of mutual assistance would be published. He replied "probably not". I then asked him if the agreement was similar to the agreements 27 Not printed. 28 See telegram No. 215, April 30, 11 a. m., from the Ambassador in China, p. 126. between the Soviet Union and France,29 and the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia,30 or if it involved virtual incorporation of Outer Mongolia as a constituent state of the Soviet Union. He replied that the agreement was similar to those between the Soviet Union, France and Czechoslovakia, and added that there was no thought at present of incorporating Outer Mongolia in the Soviet Union. Krestinsky stated that the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs considers the latest incidents an effort of the younger military group in Japan to force the hand of the Government and provoke war with the Soviet Union. He expressed the opinion that serious consequences were not to be feared. I have been informed by a member of the Soviet hierarchy, however, that the generals of the Red Army are extremely apprehensive that the present clashes may grow into major war. From another fairly reliable source I learned that 2,000 engineers from Moscow have been mobilized during the past week for service in the Far East and that certain of these men have been ordered to Outer Mongolia. 793.94/7879 BULLITT The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State No. 133 NANKING, April 1, 1936. [Received May 4.] SIR: I have the honor to state that Sir Alexander Cadogan, the retiring British Ambassador, called on me today to say goodbye, and in the course of the conversation told me briefly of the results of recent conversations which he had held with some of the leading persons in Nanking. Our conversation was, of course, informal and had the nature of an exchange of impressions. Sir Alexander said that he had had farewell interviews with General Chiang Kai-shek, President of the Executive Yuan, Mr. Chang Ch'un, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and others, and had taken pains to inquire whether any progress had been made in the conversations recently held between the two persons just named and Mr. Arita, until recently Japanese Ambassador in Nanking, who has returned to Tokyo to take up the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs. General Chiang Kai-shek had, as usual, been rather uncommunicative, but he and Mr. Chang Ch'un had both stated, in effect, that the 29 Signed at Paris, May 2, 1936, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. CLXVII, p. 395. Signed at Prague, May 16, 1936, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. CLIX, 30 p. 347. |