861.77 Chinese Eastern/418
The Consul at Harbin (Hanson) to the Minister in China (MacMurray)91
Sir: I have the honor to report that on September 29th three Soviet airplanes demonstrated over Russian territory near Manchuria Station. On October 1st three Soviet airplanes flew over Manchuria Station. In the evening that day three hundred Russians, with two field guns, appeared before the Chinese defence works north of Manchuria Station. After a twenty minutes struggle the Russian forces retreated.
On October 2nd several hundred Russian infantry under the protection of artillery barrage approached the Chinese frontier near the Chita Railway’s 86th siding, and occupied part of the Chinese trenches. Hand to hand struggle ensued, and bombs were thrown. About three Chinese officers and twenty soldiers were wounded. The rest of the troops retired after holding the trenches for thirty minutes. On the same day at 10.30 A.M. artillery firing for one hour took place on the northwestern side of the city. From fifty to sixty shells were fired by the Russian side, but outside of the city so there was no damage done within it. At 5 P.M. the Chinese trenches became engaged in an artillery duel with the Russian side. At 6 P.M. six Soviet planes appeared above the Chinese frontier and dropped six bombs into the Chinese trenches. They retired at 7 P.M.
The above is based on Japanese and Customs official telegrams and can be considered to be authentic.
It is possible that the Soviet side, which wishes Manchuria to suffer economically, saw that Chinese merchants were returning to Manchuria Station to resume business and desired by military demonstration to drive them away again. There has been another exodus of merchants from Manchuria Station. It also may be that these Soviet troops have become restless on account of dissatisfaction and lack of action, so that their officers thought it might be advantageous, as far as morale was concerned, to let them attack the Chinese positions.
I have [etc.]
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Consul in his despatch No. 4926, on the same date; received October 28, 1929.↩