861. 77 Chinese Eastern/238: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
747. Legation’s 742, August 21, 7 p.m. [11 a.m.] Following from Tass Agency, Moscow, August 20th:
“Owing to the frequent attacks on Soviet territory by Russian White Guard detachments organized on Chinese territory and owing to the information of the Chinese press alleging that Soviet troops are attacking Chinese troops, the Foreign Commissariat of the U. S. S. R. gave to the German Embassy yesterday the following statement for submission to the Nanking and Mukden Governments:
In the note of July 13 regarding the seizure of the Chinese Eastern Railway the Soviet Government mentioned the fact of the mobilization and despatch of Manchurian forces and the concentration of White Guard detachment[s] at the U. S. S. R. border. The note energetically and timely warned the Chinese Government against the further advance [omission?] of the Soviet Government’s pacific character. The Chinese authorities however failed to heed this warning. The formation and arming of White Guard detachments for raids and attacks on the border troops and the Soviet civil population continued with greater intensity and immediately after the rupture of the U. S. S. R. relations with China the said detachments developed its activities, shooting on and raiding Soviet territory. The Soviet border troops have for a long time refrained from taking counter [Page 297] measures and as a result the raids and attacks on Soviet territory have gained in frequency, causing many killed and wounded on the Soviet side.”
The statement here enumerates seven alleged instances of attacks and raids upon Soviet territory between July 18th and August 10th and concludes as follows:
“The various crossings of the border by the Red army were the results of raids on Soviet territory made by Russian White Guards and Chinese detachments and especially the estimation of the White Guards organizations having ulterior motives by the Chinese authorities creates the menace at the border and indicates the dangerous situation caused by the deeds of the Chinese authorities.
Doing the utmost to prevent the crossing of the border by Soviet troops the Soviet Government holds that the Chinese authorities must disarm the White Guard detachments and prevent all possible raids on Soviet territory by Chinese forces.
Otherwise the guilt of further complications caused by new raids will be entirely of the Nanking and Mukden Governments.”
- Telegram in four sections.↩