761.94/1207: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union ( Thurston ) to the Secretary of State

791. A member of the Japanese Embassy, responding to a cautious inquiry addressed to him by a member of this mission today with respect to a possible démarche before the Soviet Government designed to bring about a cessation of Soviet assistance to the Chinese Government in line with similar representations already made to the French and British Governments, remarked that Soviet-Japanese negotiations are at present in progress concerning the fisheries and Manchurian boundary questions, the former being regarded as presenting considerably greater difficulty than the latter, and that “Molotov has refused to give any consideration to the question of Soviet aid to China until the pending fisheries and Manchurian boundary questions have been settled with Japan”.

The representative of this Embassy did not consider it advisable to explore the subject further and it is not of course clear from the foregoing just what representations may have been made. It is presumed, however, that the Japanese Ambassador here has been instructed to discuss the question of a curtailment of Soviet aid to China with Molotov, with the results implied in the preceding paragraph.

Thurston