761.94/1279: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Steinhardt ) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 21—11:40 p.m.]
339. Following telegram has been sent to Tokyo.
February 21, 7 p.m. For the Ambassador. During the past 2 or 3 weeks the British Ambassador18 has informed me of numerous [Page 913] telegrams received by him from Craigie tending to indicate the imminence of an important Soviet-Japanese political agreement. Last night he said that he had just received a telegram from Craigie to the effect that Matsuoka will soon leave for Moscow for the purpose of signing a nonaggression pact. As my information has been and still is to the effect that the political negotiations between the Soviet Union and Japan have made relatively little progress during the past few weeks and that they will not be seriously resumed unless and until the present trade discussions are satisfactorily concluded, I should appreciate your views as to whether such an agreement is actually imminent so that I may gauge the extent to which I should rely on statements [which] were recently made to me by the Japanese Ambassador. I understand that when the new Japanese Ambassador to Berlin19 passed through here a few days ago he brought special instructions from Matsuoka which may explain the apparent discrepancy between my information and Craigie’s telegrams.
Repeated to the Department.