761.93/133
The Russian Embassy to the Department of State6
Memorandum
Referring to the Memorandums dated March 21, May 17 and December 4, 1919, submitted to the Department of State by the Russian Embassy, relating to certain acts of the Chinese Government prejudicial to the existing treaties, the Russian Embassy is at present informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Irkutsk, that following a border incident which occurred sometime ago when a Chinese gunboat entered the River Amour, the Chinese Government has at present demanded that permission be given to Chinese gunboats to enter the River Soungari. The Chinese Government has threatened in case its demand is not complied with to resort to energetic measures. The Russian Minister at Peking reports that this threat should not be disregarded.
This recent incident revealing the unfriendly spirit of the Chinese Government towards Russia is brought to the attention of the Department of State, and the Russian Embassy begs to emphasize that the efforts of the Chinese gunboats to enter the above mentioned Rivers is a violation to Russia’s rights emanating from existing treaties.
In view of the foregoing the Russian Embassy would deeply appreciate it if the American representative in Peking could bring to the attention of the Chinese Government the inadmissability of violation of international agreements.
- Covering note of same date not printed. Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Russian Affairs attached to file reads: “Mr. de Bach read me this memorandum on December 23rd. I told him that in principle we were opposed to the prejudice of Russia’s legal rights while she is in her present helpless condition, but that, from a human point of view, it was easy to sympathize with the Chinese. D. C. P[oole].”↩