File No. 861.00/2417
The Ambassador in Japan (Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 6, 10.50 a.m.]
The Japanese declaration was made public on the evening of August 2. In a conversation to-day when Miller accompanied me to the Foreign Office Baron Goto explained that this unexpected action was taken to allow public opinion to accede to all the suggestions of our Government. He also again assured me that the number of troops to be sent would not exceed the limits of 12,000 mentioned by our Government although he expressed grave doubt whether this force would be sufficient to meet the increasingly serious conditions developing in northern Manchuria and eastern Siberia. He further stated that the defeat of Semenov and the invasion of Chinese territory by Bolsheviks and organized German prisoners was giving them more concern than the Czech situation, and that four days ago he had requested from the Chinese Government an explanation of the reported settlement made between the Chinese Governor of the Manchouli District and the German officer in command of the invading forces.
The General Staff reports that troops have already entrained and the first contingent is expected to reach Vladivostok by August 10. As far as one can observe the final decision of the Government to fall in with the American proposals meets with general approval, but there is no enthusiasm for the enterprise. The Ministry will remain in for the present.