FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1934, VOLUME III



The Ambassador said that he knew personally most of the Japanese
conferees and that in his opinion they were all friendly to the Soviet
Union. He felt more than ever that the prospective movement of
the Japanese would be towards the west and the south rather than
towards Siberia. Indications were that Japan desired to be friendly to
the United States and to the Soviet Union, possibly in order to make
their progress in China easier.
  The Ambassador spoke at some length about conditions in Manchu-
kuo. He admitted that Japan had been pressing his Government
for recognition of Manchukuo. The Soviet attitude in this respect
was being guided solely by the conditions within Manchukuo itself.
While Japanese dominated the country, while large Japanese armies
were in occupation, while Chinese residents were unable to speak to
foreigners without being imprisoned, the Soviet Government could
rnot accept Manchukuo as an independent state. Although the Ambas-
sador did not say so, it was apparent that the failure of the Soviet
to recognize Manchukuo had nothing to do with the infringement
by Japan of treaties with other nations.
  The Ambassador mentioned that Japanese agents had penetrated
far into Mongolia and were in close touch with the Mongolian princes,
-in fact, he said, Japanese agents were "everywhere".
                                               WILLIAM PHILLIPS

793.94/6580: Telegram
     The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

                                    PEIPING, April 11, 1934-6 p. m.
                                  [Received April 12-8: 30 a. m.'9]
  164. My despatch number 2557, February 22, and 2611, March 21
[27].2° It becomes increasingly evident that the Japanese have con-
veyed to the Nanking Government the threat that unless the latter
reaches a "compromise" with Japan in regard to demand of the North
China "Manchukuo" police authorities the Japanese military will
in
some manner effect the separation of North China from the nominal
control of Nanking and obtain its desires with respect to this area
without Nanking's concurrence.
  Administrative Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Tang Yu-jen told
me on March 19th that the Government could not keep Huang Fu
in Peiping indefinitely procrastinating with the Japanese over the
question of certain demands concerned with relations between North
China and "Manchukuo."

   Telegram in two sections.
 20 Latter not printed; for its enclosure, see memorandum by the Minister
in
China dated March 19, p. 79.



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