761.93/1755: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 30—10:40 a.m.]
561. Chinese Military Attaché12 to Washington told the Counselor privately last evening that the Soviet Government had denied that it or its planes were involved (Embassy’s 499, March 21 and previous); that the whole affair was still very obscure; and that in his opinion it was merely a border incident which “amounted to nothing”. The Minister of the Navy13 who was present showed surprise when the subject came up and said that he had never even heard of the incident.
A few days ago a Soviet military adviser, while saying that Soviet Embassy was without definitive information, put forth theses that no planes had been involved and that the story in regard to them was invented by Sinkiang chairman.