761.93/1555
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 25.]
Sir: With reference to the Department’s Instruction, No. 351, of April 22, 1935,33 expressing its desire to obtain information with respect to a secret agreement said to have been concluded in 1932 between the Soviet Union and the Province of Sinkiang, I have the honor to enclose34 a memorandum setting forth certain statements relating to the treaty relations between Sinkiang and the Soviet Union made by Mr. Nanju-Wu, Counselor of the Chinese Embassy at Moscow, and a “free translation” into English of the Chinese text of the Soviet-Sinkiang Treaty of October 1, 1931, handed by Mr. Wu to a member of the Embassy staff.
[Page 301]It will be noted that, according to statements made by Mr. Wu, the Treaty of October 1, 1931, represents the only agreement concluded between the Soviet Government and the Provincial Government of Sinkiang. He says that the Central Government of China has not ratified it and does not intend to do so.
An examination of the translation of the treaty, which is being submitted without editing, as received from the Chinese Embassy, tends to confirm Mr. Wu’s statements that it is of a temporary nature and is to become ineffective upon the conclusion of a general Soviet-Chinese commercial treaty. Such a general treaty, according to Mr. Wu, is being negotiated at the present time at Nanking.
The ambitions of the Soviet Government with respect to Sinkiang are reflected in paragraph 6 of the treaty, in which the hope is expressed that “the Soviet Government, in high consideration of the economic interests of the people of Sinkiang” will, through commercial transactions, supply them with “all the machinery necessary for industrial, electrical, agricultural, and communications development, and likewise be responsible for all the necessary technical experts as well as for the training of technicians from among the Chinese people to undertake the reconstruction of Sinkiang.”
It will also be observed that in Annex 2 to the Treaty, the Soviet Government proposes to establish financial bureaus in certain points in Sinkiang which “would be disposed” to grant financial and other assistance to Chinese commercial houses and merchants.
Respectfully yours,