861.77 Chinese Eastern/1287
The Consul General at Harbin ( Hanson ) to the Minister in China ( Johnson )6
Sir: I have the honor to report that the Japanese Consul General, Mr. Morishima, informed me yesterday that he had been conducting [Page 6] negotiations with the Soviet Consul General, Mr. Slavoutsky, in regard to the release of the Chinese Eastern Railway officials arrested last September. It is believed that the prospect for their release is good. One report has it that they will be given their old positions temporarily, but the Japanese owned Russian Harbin Times stated that if released they will be sent into Russia. It is believed that the Soviet Government insists upon their release as a condition for reopening the “Manchukuo”-Soviet negotiations regarding the sale of the railway in Tokyo. Mr. Morishima hastened to assure me that he was merely acting in the capacity of a go-between desirous of bringing the “Manchukuo” and Soviet sides together. He also stated that he had written a lengthy letter to the “Manchukuo” delegate in Tokyo, Mr. Ohashi, formerly Consul General here and a very good friend of Mr. Morishima. Mr. Ohashi has constantly reiterated that he would not offer more than fifty million yen for the railway, but Mr. Morishima believed that Mr. Ohashi will change his mind in this respect.
Respectfully yours,
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Consul General at Harbin in his despatch No. 5946, January 18; received February 10.↩