861.77 Chinese Eastern/494: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 28—3:15 p.m.]
234. Your No. 90, November 27, 1 p.m.27 …I saw the German Minister for Foreign Affairs at 1 p.m. After I had explained the matter in full to him, he asked if I would object to having Von Schubert join us. When he came, the subject was explained to him. They wished to have until 7 p.m. for a definite reply, and we finally agreed on 6 p.m.
However, from the conversation I believe I can anticipate their decision. The Foreign Minister said that his Government on November 26 had received from the Chinese Government and had transmitted to the Russian Government a proposal to settle the dispute with Russia. According to the German Wolff’s Telegraph Bureau on November 27, this proposal was directly repeated by Chang Hsuehliang at Mukden in a telegram to Litvinoff at Moscow, and the latter [Page 359] accepted it. The proposal is based on restoring the situation which existed when the present conflict began.
So far the German Government has no official confirmation as to Litvinoff’s reply; but the Soviet Telegraph Agency, Tass, on November 27 published at Moscow the text of his acceptance.