893.01 Outer Mongolia/19: Telegram

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

411. Legation’s 376, July 25, 10 a.m. [p.m.] The Outer Mongolian Government replied July 29 to the “Manchukuo”-Kwantung Army note of July 17, proposing, according to newspaper reports, that resident representatives be exchanged between Outer Mongolia and “Manchukuo” on the condition that their authority would be limited to the settlement of border disputes and that they would reside at points near the border. The Hsinking Foreign Office in a statement of August 6, it is reported, stated that certain points in the Mongolian reply were “vague and unreasonable”; that new proposals were being made by “Manchukuo” in a note dated August 5, to the effect that the places for residence should be clearly designated indicating resident representatives should also be stationed in the capitals of the two countries to deal with such matters as cannot be settled locally; and that “the ‘Manchukuo’ [government?], however, concedes to the Outer Mongolian proposal to limit the authority of the resident representatives”.

Ohashi, “Manchukuo” Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, in a recent private interview with an American newspaperman stated that the Kwantung Army was not prepared to make a serious issue of the matter but “merely wanted to see how far it could go,” however, the Army was very desirous of having representatives in Urga for purposes of observation.

By mail to Tokyo, Nanking, Harbin.

Johnson