893.00/2–1547: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 15—5:21 a.m.]
294. On basis of information obtained from military sources, Embassy inquired of Foreign Office whether any progress had been made regarding Chinese Government occupation of Dairen. Foreign Office stated that situation had not yet appreciably changed except that within past 2 or 3 weeks Soviet planes had been flying over Chinese islands abutting on the leased territory area, on at least one of which there was a Chinese garrison, and on one or two occasions the planes had dropped bombs. However, no one had been injured and Soviets had attempted to explain the matter away as incident to maneuvers.
Vice Minister emphasized Chinese Government had felt it desirable to keep matter as quiet as possible.