861.77/1106: Telegram

The American member of the Inter-Allied Railway Committee (Smith) to the Secretary of State, transmitted by the Consul at Vladivostok (Caldwell)

527. Following from Smith:

“Just a few minutes before [Ambassador] Morris left for Tokyo, he received a statement from General Oi, Commander-in-Chief of Japanese troops, regarding the guarding of the railway reading as follows:

Instructions Issued to the Japanese Railway Guard by the Japanese Commander-in-Chief

The Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese forces and the American Ambassador in their recent interview exchanged views relative to the military guard of the railways as per accompanying memorandum. As often instructed on former occasions the work of improving the Siberian Railway being a matter of deep significance in accomplishing object of aiding Russia you are again instructed to comply with the view in the accompanying memorandum and accordingly engage in the discharge of your duties.

memorandum

On September 22d General Oi, the Japanese Commander-in-Chief, had an interview at the Japanese headquarters with Mr. Morris, [Page 584] American Ambassador, and Mr. Stevens, the president of the Technical Board, and exchanged views with regard to the duties of the military guard of the Siberian railways. The American Ambassador asked whether the Japanese forces guarding the railway intended to guard only against an outside force attempting destruction of the railways while withholding aid or protection in case of any interference with operation otherwise than referred to above. He said that unless help were rendered it would be impossible to attain objects of improving the railways. The Commander-in-Chief then stated that in pursuance of the spirit in which the Allied Powers had undertaken the general supervision of the Siberian railways the officers in command of railway guards should in principle accord assistance and protection, for the purpose of improving the railways, to the railways and their employees not only against any attack upon railway by an outside force but also against any illegal interference with the railway operations. The General added that in cases however where circumstances are such as to make judgment difficult the officer Commander-in-Chief [sic] by referring the matter for instruction to the superior officers to whom [they are] directly responsible should endeavor for an amicable settlement of that matter’.

Ambassador Morris desired me to state to the Department that he would be pleased to receive at Tokyo the Department’s comments and instructions relative to the above memorandum.

He also asked me to send to the Department my opinion as to the practicability of the above memorandum. The memorandum is exactly what the Inter-Allied Committee has been contending for with the Japanese military and if carried out in pursuance of the tacit understanding in which the Allied Powers had undertaken the general supervision of the Siberian railways [we shall have] no more difficulty with them. However I do not like the term in principle in next to the last sentence. It would have been better perhaps to have said in practice. I have heretofore noted that the Japanese are inclined to put a peculiar construction on that term when it tends to obviate [sic] their real aims. Also farther in the same sentence they use the word illegal which is capable of extension. If they mean to confine it to the Allied agreement and the Russian statutes no objection is possible, but if they interpret it to include orders issued by the present Russian Minister of Communications difficulties will arise. The last sentence may also lead to some difficulties. … However the expression first quoted (in my?) comments will be the saving clause for the Inter-Allied Committee and I feel that we shall be able by a judicious use of that expression to adjust future difficulties if any arise. Smith.”

Caldwell