861.77 Chinese Eastern/317:
Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Schurman) to the Secretary of
State
[Paraphrase]
Berlin, September 11,
1929—noon.
[Received 1:18 p.m.]
163. Yesterday, at the request of the Chinese National Government, the
German Foreign Office telegraphed its Ambassador in Moscow for
transmission to the Soviet Government the following note verbale:79
- “1. The National Government of China has declared
repeatedly its readiness to enter into negotiations with the
Soviet Government in
[Page 317]
order to reach a just and fair settlement of the recent
dispute. The National Government is therefore appreciative
of the attitude of the Soviet Government in expressing its
readiness to sign the joint declaration when agreed upon by
both parties and agrees completely that the proposed
conference should be opened as soon as possible in order
that the representatives of both countries may effect a
final solution of all the questions outstanding between the
two countries.
- 2. The National Government has no objection to the
proposal of the Soviet Government to insert the word
‘immediate[ly]’ before the word ‘ratifications of [recommend]’ in article 3 of the
proposed joint declaration80 but regrets
that it cannot see its way to agreeing to the suggestion of
making the appointment of a new manager and an assistant
manager as a prerequisite for the signing of the said
declaration, or for the opening of the congress because such
a procedure would be contrary to the general principle laid
down by article 2 of the draft declaration which has already
been accepted by the Soviet Government.
- 3. With regard to the other amendments proposed by the
Soviet Government the National Government is of the opinion
that they may very well be left to be considered by the
forthcoming conference and that should the conference decide
in favor of the proposed amendments of [the] National Government will not oppose to their
being adopted.
- 4. The National Government proposes that the conference be
held in Berlin instead of Moscow as suggested by the Soviet
Government and also hopes that the signature of the agreed
joint declaration shall likewise take place in Berlin by the
representatives of both parties.”
An official in the German Foreign Office explains that the Chinese note
is, in effect, a refusal of all the preliminary conditions of Russia.
Described as a typically Chinese reply, it will exasperate Moscow
greatly and will not forward in any way a settlement. Had the German
Foreign Office not been requested formally to transmit this
communication, with no advice asked, it would have hesitated to do so.
The delay in the Chinese answer has already exasperated the Russians,
whose main purpose in their recent protests and reprisals has been to
hasten the reply. The above evasive answer, the Germans feel, shows that
Nanking is much less concerned with an early settlement than is
Mukden.
