761.9411/104: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:23 p.m.]
137. My 136, April 15, noon. When I called on the Foreign Minister late yesterday afternoon in regard to another matter he made reference to the signing of the Russo-Japanese agreement in Moscow saying that he had found it necessary to issue a statement on April 1466 in regard to the “declaration” (see my 135, April 15, 11 a.m.67) but that the Chinese Government was not taking any definite position in regard to the “neutrality pact” pending clarification of some of the provisions contained therein. Dr. Wang said that he had summoned the Soviet Ambassador68 on the evening of April 14 and had explained to the Ambassador that he had found it necessary to issue a statement in regard to the declaration because silence would of course be construed as acquiescence in the provisions of the declaration. [Page 952] Dr. Wang went on to say that he had made inquiry of the Soviet Ambassador in regard to application of the provisions of article 2 of the “Neutrality Pact” and especially to whether the Sino-Japanese conflict came within the purview of the terms of that article and that the Russian Ambassador had replied that he had received no instructions but had expressed the personal view that article 2 had reference to future hostilities and not to those presently occurring. Dr. Wang said also that he had sought elucidation of terms such as “[future?] hostilities”, “neutrality”, et cetera. The Russian Ambassador had promised to seek instructions from Moscow especially in regard to application of article 2.
Sent to the Department, repeated to Peiping. Code text by air mail to Moscow.