861.00/8929
The Chargé in China ( Ruddock ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 18.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s telegram of July 13th, 6 p.m., No. 196, regarding the efforts of Ataman Semenoff to arrange for the transportation of his troops through Manchuria to the Trans-Baikal. During an interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on July 13th, I had brought up with him this question as reported to me by the American Consul at Harbin under date of July 11, 5 p.m. Dr. Yen informed me that the Central Government had received assurances from Marshal Chang Tso-lin that he would not permit a single Semenoff soldier to be transported over the Chinese Eastern Railway. This statement I telegraphed to the Consul at Harbin under date of July 13, 4 p.m., with the request that he communicate it to the Department of State and to Mr. Stevens, President of the Inter-Allied Technical Board, and I assume that the Department has received it in due course.
Upon the receipt of the Department’s telegraphic instruction under reference I confirmed to Dr. Yen, in writing, the statement which he made to me orally and conveyed the expression of the Department’s interest in the matter. A copy of my informal communication on this subject to Dr. Yen is enclosed herewith.38
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩