861.77 Chinese Eastern/127
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Johnson)
The Japanese Ambassador came in to see me this morning. During his conversation the Secretary of the Embassy came in with some [Page 241] telegrams just arrived. The Ambassador read to me the substance of these telegrams, which was to the effect that the Russian Ambassador called upon Baron Shidehara on the 24th and stated that Soviet Russia had declined Briand’s proposal for mediation, stating that Soviet Russia could not accept mediation unless the status quo ante of the Chinese Eastern Railway was restored. He said that the French proposal had said nothing about restoration of status quo ante. Baron Shidehara asked the Russian Ambassador what he meant by the term “status quo ante”, whereupon the Ambassador explained that it meant (1) cancellation of dismissal of Emshanoff and Russian employes; (2) release of Russian employes arrested or detained; (3) restoration of property belonging to Chinese Eastern Railway arbitrarily taken by the Chinese.
The Russian Ambassador emphasized to Baron Shidehara the fact that there would be no fighting unless Russia was challenged by the Chinese.