761.93 Outer Mongolia/20
The Consul General at Harbin (Adams) to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)39
Sir: I have the honor to attach hereto, as enclosure No. 1,40 a copy of a Kokutsu despatch from Hsinking dated April 6, 1936, containing a translation of a statement concerning the reported Soviet-Outer Mongolian agreement. It agrees exactly with the versions which appeared in the Japanese and Chinese press. Although the Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and the Japanese Consulate General were unable to confirm that the Foreign Office actually gave out the statement, they had little doubt that Kokutsu reported correctly. It is believed that the statement may be taken as official.
The statement first assumes that in making the agreement, Soviet Russia broke Article V of the Sino-Soviet Agreement of 1924 regarding China’s territorial integrity. It then says that the U. S. S. R. desires to place Outer Mongolia in its power “in fact as well as in name”; that the pact is contrary to the will of the majority of the Mongols; that its real intent is to use Outer Mongolia as a base to Sovietize the Far East; that it is a military alliance against “Manchukuo” and Japan; that the agreement cannot be recognized by “Manchukuo”; that as the Nanking Government has ignored the pact, it must be concluded that it has a secret agreement with Soviet Russia; that hence the Nanking Government may be considered as the public enemy of the Far East; that “Manchukuo” and Japan will be obliged to take independent action if China does nothing; that as Manchuria and Mongolia are racial and geographical neighbors, “Manchukuo” has as much if not more right to speak in Mongolia than the Soviet Union; that as the establishment of the Soviet position in Outer Mongolia increases communist influence, “Manchukuo” is menaced thereby, which may occasion it to take proper measures in Outer Mongolia; and, finally that the recent aggravation of attack on “Manchukuo” frontier guards is worthy of serious attention.
The relations existing between “Manchukuo” and Japan make the above referred to statement sound strange coming as it does from the authorities in Hsinking. The unrestrained tone of the article would [Page 109] appear to indicate that the Kwantung Army is alarmed over the situation.
Attached hereto, as enclosure No. 2,41 is an English translation of an editorial which appeared in the Harbin Nichi Nichi, issue of April 2, 1936, claiming that the Russian policy toward Japan and “Manchukuo” has recently changed from one of passive defense to positive action. This editorial would not have been published in Harbin without the approval of the Japanese Military Mission.
The Harbin press reports of the Chinese protest against the conclusion of an agreement of mutual assistance between Soviet Russia and Outer Mongolia do not carry conviction. The protest was made following an outburst on the part of the Japanese press and probably following serious representations to Nanking by the Japanese.
In this general connection, attention is invited to this Consulate General’s despatch No. 134 to the Embassy, October 7, 1935, entitled “ ‘Manchukuo’ and Outer Mongolia”.41 That despatch invited attention to the circumstances that Japanese demands that the soldiers of Outer Mongolia be treated by the Chinese Government as “Chinese communists” might well drive China to jettison Outer Mongolia as a means of resisting Japanese pressure for Chinese military action which would tend to involve China in Japan’s clashes with Russian interests.
Respectfully yours,