893.01 Outer Mongolia/17: Telegram

The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

376. Legation’s telegram No. 348, July 10, 4 p.m. Following replies to the July 4 representations of the “Manchukuo” government and the Kwantung Army were made by the Outer Mongolian Government on July 13, according to press reports, and those replies are said to have been essentially the same as made originally on July 9 [Page 322] by Sambu, the Outer Mongolian representative. Mongol refusal of the demarcation made was based, it is reported on the general ground that compliance would result in an infringement of Outer Mongolian sovereignty. It is reported that the “Manchukuo” government and the Kwantung Army on July 17, handed Sambu a new joint note proposing that there should be bilateral exchange of authorized representatives with the right of permanent residence in Outer Mongolia and “Manchukuo” respectively instead of merely the unilateral despatch of “Manchukuo” nurses and Kwantung Army representative to Outer Mongolia as first proposed. Japanese news despatches from Hsinking threaten that there will be “positive measures” taken by the Kwantung Army to settle the incident unless the Outer Mongolian authorities signify their compliance. The text of neither the Mongol note of July 13, nor the joint note of July 17 had yet been obtained by the Legation.

Repeated by mail to Tokyo, Nanking and Harbin.

Johnson