761.94/938
The Chargé in Japan (Dickover) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 15.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that Soviet-Japanese relations, which during the past few weeks had been showing marked improvement due to the progress made toward the settlement of the outstanding issues between the two countries, have now received a severe set-back following the news of the German-Japanese accord.69 The details of this accord which are discussed in another despatch* are not important for the purpose of this discussion; the fact, however, that Japan has seen fit to join with Germany in a common front against the Soviet ideology, if not the Soviet Government itself, has apparently satisfied the USSR that the Japanese Government has thus sacrificed any claim it might have had to good-will and cooperation in the settlement of the questions which have been and are up for discussion between Moscow and Tokyo. Consequently negotiations on pending issues have been summarily suspended by Moscow and the prospects for their resumption have become remote.
It will be recalled that during the past few months Premier Hirota has been taking up one by one the outstanding issues between Japan and Soviet Russia in accordance with the policy which he has pursued ever since he became Foreign Minister and which he has continued through Mr. Arita while Prime Minister. After the transfer of the Chinese Eastern Railway was accomplished in March, 1935, the remaining questions have been the following: 1. The extension of the Japanese oil concessions in North Saghalien; 2. The new Fisheries Treaty to supplement the treaty which expired in May of this year; 3. The establishment of two commissions, one for the demarcation of the “Manchukuo”-Siberian border and the other for the settlement of border disputes between Japan-”Manchukuo” and the USSR. While there may be said to remain several other problems, such as the creation [Page 395] of a demilitarized zone along the Manchurian-Siberian border and a non-aggression pact as well as the fundamental question of supremacy over Mongol peoples and pastures† only the first three mentioned have been the subject of actual negotiations up to the present. Of these the agreement extending the North Saghalien oil concessions was successfully concluded at Moscow on October 10, last; whether the Soviets will now create any difficulty in the way of enforcing these concessions remains to be seen.
The draft of the new Fisheries Treaty had been actually completed and on November 18 was formally approved by the Privy Council at a Plenary Session at the Palace in the presence of the Emperor and later accepted by the Cabinet. Instructions to sign it had been cabled to the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires at Moscow but on the date set for signature, November 20, the Soviet Foreign Office informed the Japanese Chargé that “in view of the threatening developments in relations” the Soviet Government would be unable to sign the new Fisheries Convention until the atmosphere had changed.
On November 16, 17, and 18 the Soviet Ambassador conferred at length with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Arita, concerning the establishment of the border demarcation commission and the commission for the settlement of border disputes, and while little progress was apparent in the direction of settling the points at issue at least a real effort was being made to this end. Indications now lead to the belief that these negotiations will be broken off entirely, at least for an indefinite period.
In addition to these, and possibly as an indirect result of Soviet pressure and indignation over recent developments, it is reported that the preliminary border negotiations between the Governments of Outer Mongolia and “Manchukuo”, which recently opened at Manchuli, have been temporarily postponed “because of the illness of the chief Mongolian delegate, Mr. Samboa.”
The reaction of the Soviet Government to the German-Japanese pact cannot have come as a surprise to the Japanese Government; there is, however, some question as to whether the premature discussion in the press of this pact was not disappointing to Mr. Hirota who undoubtedly hoped that at least the Fisheries Treaty would be signed before the news of the German agreement became known. Indications lead to the belief that the draft of the Fisheries Treaty was hurried through the Privy Council and the Cabinet in the hope that it could be signed on November 20, that is, six days before the publication of the German agreement.
Reverting to the negotiations regarding the border commissions it may be stated for purposes of record that Mr. Yurenev is reported to [Page 396] have made at the last conference with Mr. Arita the following contentions based upon his most recent instructions from Moscow:
- 1.
- That the border disputes commission should extend its jurisdiction, as early as possible, to the entire Soviet-“Manchukuo” border from the eastern frontier.
- 2.
- That the proposed commission deal with all border incidents dating from the Chingchangkou affair of January 20.
- 3.
- That Japan and “Manchukuo” should operate as a single responsible unit in the proposed commission.
Thus it will be observed, by reference to a recent despatch‡ on the subject, that the Soviets have made a slight concession on point 1 mentioned above in that instead of holding out for the establishment of the dispute settlement commission within two months after the establishment of the commission dealing only with the eastern frontier, the Soviet Government wishes that the commission be established “as early as possible” afterward. With regard to points 2 and 3 above, there has been no concession. Furthermore, if the reports are correct, the Soviet contentions have been reduced from the six points mentioned in the despatch under reference, to only three.
In conclusion it may therefore be observed that Japan must look for a period of considerable uncertainty in her relations with Soviet Russia in the near future and that Mr. Hirota’s policy of settling the outstanding issues between the two countries one by one will suffer at least temporarily due to resentment and retaliation on the part of Moscow because of Japan’s new liaison with Germany.
Respectfully yours,
- See vol. i, pp. 390 ff.↩
- Embassy’s despatch No. 2159, November 26, 1936. [Footnote in the original; for despatch see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 153.]↩
- Embassy’s despatch No. 1236, April 5, 1935. [Footnote in the original; for despatch see Foreign Relations, 1935, vol. iii, p. 106.]↩
- Embassy’s despatch No. 2114, October 30, 1936. [Footnote in the original; despatch not printed.]↩