793.94/5399
The Consul General at Harbin (Hanson) to the Minister in China (Johnson)40
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith a translation of an article in the Harbin Russian newspaper Zarya for May 29, 1932,41 reporting an interview with General Hirose, commander of the Japanese 10th division, on the previous day.
In conversation with Consul Coville on June 1, General Hirose confirmed the accuracy of the account of the interview as printed in Russian, and reiterated and dilated upon several of the points covered. The interview and conversation have interest as embodying carefully prepared statements for publication and for transmission to the American Consulate General, respectively, which may therefore be considered official pronouncements on the part of the Japanese military in Harbin. The following points were included:
- 1.
- The Mutan river near Hailin is named as the limit of Japanese military operations from Harbin along the line of the eastern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway, and similarly Fuchin is name[d] as the limit of operations down the Sungari river. (Japanese troops have in fact occupied Echo which is just east of the Mutan river. As for any agreement between Japan and the Soviet Union fixing a boundary to the area of Japanese military operations, I am of the opinion that no such agreement exists.)
- 2.
- General Hirose relies on Japanese-Soviet cooperation in refusing supplies and provisions to Chinese bands in the area between the Japanese fronts and the Soviet border as an effective method of starving them out and bringing about their defeat without direct military [Page 62] action. (It is probable that the Japanese have an added motive to follow this policy in their desire that traffic on the Chinese Eastern Railway to Vladivostok continue to be interrupted.)
- 3.
- The Sungari river from Harbin to Fuchin is claimed to be already entirely clear for commercial river traffic. (This claim is not true to the facts. River traffic is safe only for the Kokusai Unyu, a large Japanese forwarding company which operates ships on the Sungari river this year for the first time. The ships of this company invariably carry a guard of Japanese troops. Shipping by other firms is entirely paralyzed.)
- 4.
- Rumors of the transfer to Harbin of the Kwantung army staff headquarters are asserted to be entirely without foundation.
- 5.
- The total number of Japanese troops in all Manchuria is stated to be 40,000 in four divisions, in addition to a brigade from a Korean division (size not disclosed). (My estimate of the number of Japanese troops in north Manchuria alone is 50,000, slightly more or slightly less. Soviet estimates of Japanese troops in north Manchuria range around 100,000.)
- 6.
- “The more troops the better” is mentioned incidentally as a general principle.
- 7.
- Guarded reference is made to fortifications near Echo in the construction of which Russian assistance has previously been charged by Japanese.
General Hirose acknowledged his very close personal relations with General Araki and expressed confidence that General Araki will continue indefinitely in control.
Respectfully yours,