893.01 Manchuria/1131
The Ambassador in Poland (Cudahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 16.]
Sir: With reference to my despatch No. 214, March 16, 1934,34 and to informal comment thereon under date of June 12, 1934,35 I have the honor to report that a member of my staff was yesterday informed by Mr. Antoni Jażdżewski, Chief of the Far Eastern Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that the Polish Government has no intention of recognizing “Manchukuo” and that the matter has not even come before the Ministry for consideration in the six months that he has there been on duty. Mr. Jażdżewski was Counselor of the Polish Legation at Tokyo when he was called to the Foreign Office in Warsaw to assume direction of the Far Eastern Section. He reported for duty in December last.
Mr. Jażdżewski stated that although the Polish Government is well aware that Japan would like to have it accord recognition to “Manchukuo”, it has no intention of doing so for the following reasons: “first, because we have no important interests in that territory, and secondly, because we could not be the first to extend recognition”. [Page 201] Asked what the attitude of the Polish Government would be if it were approached in the premises after “Manchukuo” had been recognized by at least one Power, Mr. Jażdżewski said that it would take the position that, as a member of the League of Nations, it could not accord recognition as long as the League’s attitude toward “Manchukuo” remains what, it is at present.
Mr. Jażdżewski said that he could shed some light on the report that was in circulation last spring (i. e., the report which is the subject of my despatch No. 214, March 16, 1934) to the effect that Mr. Michal Mościcki, Polish Minister to Japan, had stated that he believed that the Polish Government would accord recognition to “Manchukuo”. He said that Mr. Mościcki had been approached in the railway station at Harbin by a Japanese journalist who solicited an interview. Mr. Mościcki declined the request, said Mr. Jażdżewski, but nevertheless the journalist wrote a story of an entirely fictitious interview with the Minister, and in it ascribed to the latter the statement with regard to recognition that was brought to the attention of the Department in my despatch under reference.
Mr. Jażdżewski does not believe that war threatens between Japan and the U. S. S. R. He added that he would even go so far as to say that war between the two Powers within the next year or two is improbable. Neither Government is prepared for it, or desires it, he said. The Japanese forces in “Manchukuo” have all that they can do to consolidate their position and to administer the area. They desire to have no new obligations imposed on them. As is well known, he remarked, Soviet Russia earnestly desires peace so that its internal development will not be interrupted.
Respectfully yours,