761.9315 Manchuria/19: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 22—7:30 a.m.]
80. Embassy’s 72, October 17, 6 p.m.10 Two despatches from the Consulate General at Harbin under date of October 17, report Soviet and Japanese reactions to the border incident. The Soviet Consul General at Harbin stated that the Japanese-“Manchukuo” border patrol adopted a very belligerent attitude toward Soviet patrols; that violations of the Soviet frontiers are reported almost daily; and that serious developments are possible with the Japanese attitude as it is.
An editorial, believed by the Consul General to represent the official Japanese point of view, in the Harbin Nichi Nichi, laid the blame for border incidents on the Soviets and characterized the present incident as one of unprecedented gravity; in case the Soviets continue to evade their responsibility, Japan and “Manchukuo” will be forced to take “decisive steps”. The editorial concludes with the admonition that, [Page 374] if the Soviet troops desire peace, they must give a guarantee of that desire and such a guarantee would comprise the withdrawal of the 300,000 Soviet troops from the East to the West.
- Not printed.↩