861.77/2762b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Herrick)
303. Department’s 253, August 11, 6 p.m.95 and subsequent telegrams.
It is desired that you now make formal representations to the French Government, leaving with the Foreign Office a written memorandum in the following sense:
The Government of the United States is informed that the Japanese troops previously stationed in the Chinese Eastern Railway zone were withdrawn on September 26 last and that the withdrawal of Japanese troops from the mainland of Siberia is proceeding with [Page 918] such regularity as to warrant the expectation that evacuation will be completed before the end of the present month.
Under the provisions of the 1919 agreement, paragraph 5, general supervision of the Trans-Siberian and Chinese Eastern Railways is to cease upon the withdrawal of the foreign military forces from Siberia and all foreign railway experts appointed under the agreement are to be recalled forthwith.
In anticipation of the events indicated above the Government of the United States on August 11 submitted to the French Government, as well as to the other governments concerned, proposals for a common course of action in winding up the Interallied Committee and the Technical Board pursuant to the terms of the 1919 agreement and in giving effect the resolutions respecting the Chinese Eastern Railway adopted at the Washington Conference.
The Governments of Great Britain and Japan have formally made known their concurrence in these proposals. The French Government has expressed its concurrence in principle but requested further information on one point. This information was furnished September 7.
Having regard to these circumstances and to the pressing need for final action created by the progress of events with respect to the Chinese Eastern Railway and the withdrawal of the last of the foreign military forces, the Government of the United States now ventures to express the hope that the French Government will give its formal adherence to the proposals in question within the very near future. End of memorandum.
Repeat foregoing to London as Department’s 299 with instructions to communicate to the British Foreign Office informally for its information. Tokyo Foreign Office is also being informed.
[Paraphrase.] Italy has not yet concurred but its participation in the concerted action proposed, although highly desirable, is not thought to be necessary since the Italian Government no longer has a representative on the Technical Board. [End paraphrase.]