711.61/743: Telegram

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

821. After having replied to the Japanese Secretary in the sense reported in the Embassy’s 813, July 6, I remarked that it has been suggested that the Japanese Government had made representations to the Soviet Government regarding the furnishing of military supplies to China similar to those recently made to the British and French Governments. The Secretary answered that no such representations have been made and added that they would have been superfluous in any event since as a result of the Finnish war and the subsequent movements of the Red army the Soviet Union can spare no military equipment. He expressed the opinion that Soviet aid to China has in fact diminished considerably and asserted that most of the Soviet advisers have been recalled from China.

With respect to strictly Japanese-Soviet relations the same informant stated that conversations are in progress regarding Sakhalin Island and the fisheries problem and that a commission will be formed shortly to undertake the actual demarcation of the boundary of Mongolia–Manchuria.63

Repeated to Tokyo.

Thurston
  1. For further details of Soviet-Japanese relations, see vol. i, pp. 633 ff.