Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, The British Commonwealth, The Soviet Union, The Near East and Africa, Volume III

861.00/11867: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, September 19, 1940—7 p.m.
[Received 10:55 p.m.]

1194. The following observations made in the course of my trans-Siberian trip may be of interest to the Department:

1. Military preparations: On both sides of the Soviet-Manchurian frontier extreme measures were taken by both the Japanese and Soviet authorities to conceal fairly extensive military measures. While entering and departing from the frontier stations of Manchuli and Otpor the blinds were carefully drawn, the passengers supervised and the train was not permitted to depart until after dark. Through the entire 7 days from Otpor to Moscow large numbers of soldiers and officers were in evidence and in all of the stations stopped at one out of three men were in uniform. I noted a large number of airfields along the entire route spaced from three to four hundred miles apart. The airfields were large but the hangars and facilities appeared to be in a poor state of repair and the buildings very small in relation to the size of the fields. Such planes as were visible appeared to be antiquated, consisting largely of single or twin motored bombers and small pursuit craft. I observed no important troop movements either east or west and did not see a single troop train moving in either direction during the entire trip.

2. Trans-Siberian Railway line: In general the eastern and central Siberian roadbed showed evidence of heavy wear with little maintenance work in progress. There was a noticeable improvement in the condition of the roadbed the farther west the train proceeded. From Otpor, the eastern frontier station, to Omsk, the line was double tracked in part but not for the entire length. Some of the double tracking was obviously of recent date. From Omsk to approximately 200 miles west of Sverdlovsk, a total distance of some 800 miles, I can categorically state from personal observation that the line is single track with not the slightest evidence of double tracking in progress or laid out. Furthermore the three principal bridges across the Irtysh, Enesei and Ob Rivers are single span, too light to carry double track and in respect of the two last bridges they would have to be entirely reconstructed or duplicated in order to carry a second track. I am of the opinion, based on my observations of the roadbed and the great width of these rivers that it would require at least 2 years to double track the section of 800 miles referred to above. I saw no evidence that this work is in contemplation.

3. General conditions: From my observations at the stations at various points there appeared to be a shortage of food in Eastern Siberia. Conditions appeared somewhat better in Central Siberia improving progressively the farther west we went. In Eastern and Central Siberia little agricultural machinery or evidence of modern methods of farming was to be seen and I was struck by the small number of cattle which were to be seen in areas which appeared to be excellent grazing country. The condition of the cereal crop appeared to be poor in the east and fair in the west.

Steinhardt