125.0093 Manchuria/6
The Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs ( Hornbeck ) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: This aide-mémoire,52 just brought to me by the Chinese Chargé, contains two statements (from the Nanking Government) on the basis of “is reported”, the first of which has no particular meaning but the second of which should be noted with care: the second statement carries the suggestion that the Japanese may be planning to threaten exclusion from Manchuria of consular officers from states which continue to withhold recognition of “Manchukuo”.
It is the feeling of this Division that, if the Japanese develop that idea and even if they carry it into execution, we need not let such moves worry us. For fifteen years we withheld recognition from Soviet Russia, we had no official representation in Russia, and it is doubtful whether we suffered much in consequence of those facts. Exclusion of our consular representatives from Manchuria would in itself cause us [Page 225] little inconvenience and little economic loss. We could at once establish a consular office at Vladivostok and perhaps one at Chita. Our expenses of representation would be cut down and we could use the officers and the balance of the funds thus released for strengthening other of our establishments in the Far East. Our trade with Manchuria does not run to high figures and would not be seriously injured.
- Supra.↩