761.9315 Manchuria/5: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 5—12:12 p.m.]
268. Sakoh, Counselor of the Japanese Embassy in Moscow, who conducts all important negotiations with the Foreign Office, the Ambassador being a figurehead, informed Henderson23 today that the Government of “Manchukuo” was determined not to relinquish its claim to the large island at the juncture of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers near Habarovsk. Sakoh added that the island could be most important from a military point of view and expressed the opinion that the question of ownership might become a grave issue.
Sakoh stated that Japan was prepared to agree to the formation of a boundary commission for the settlement of disputes between the Soviet Union and “Manchukuo” thus confirming Litvinov’s statement to me (see my telegram 266, July 4, 6 p.m.). Sakoh denied that the Japanese Government had asked the Soviet Government to sell the northern half of Sakhalin. He stated that his conversations with regard to the joint agreement were progressing slowly but favorably and that he was confident that the agreement would be more favorable to Japan than the previous agreement.
- Loy W. Henderson, Second Secretary of Embassy in the Soviet Union.↩