861.77 Chinese Eastern/280: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:19 p.m.]
159. The German Ambassador at Moscow on August 28 delivered to the Soviet Foreign Office the Chinese Government’s note verbale72a embodying an essential surrender, in the German Foreign Office’s view, in the conflict over the Chinese Eastern Railway. The German Foreign Office, while feeling not at liberty to communicate the details, informs this Embassy in confidence that the Chinese have accepted in the main the Russian conditions, including the appointment of Russians as manager and assistant manager. On their side the Chinese make some conditions, but these the Germans associate primarily with face-saving and will probably be acceptable to the Russians. The Chinese note verbale proposes a joint declaration by the Chinese and Russian Governments that negotiations are to be begun in order to put into effect the 1924 agreements.
The foregoing has been communicated by the German Foreign Office also to the Japanese Embassy, but to no other Embassy; and the Chinese and Russians do not know that these communications have been made.