861.77 Chinese Eastern/249

Marshal Chang Hsüeh-liang to the Soviet Acting Commissar for Foreign Affairs (Karakhan)31

[Translation]

Sir: After an exchange of opinions between the Consul General, Mr. Melnikov, and the Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tsai, the latter went to Mukden, and made a report. The Chinese Eastern Railway is a joint commercial enterprise, arranged by the two states between them, and regulated by the Peking agreement and the Mukden agreement. In order to settle the prevailing misunderstanding, the following three proposals are made: first, that the Chinese Government and the government of the U. S. S. R. should appoint each its representative for the calling of a conference concerning the questions connected with the Chinese Eastern Railway; secondly, that the prevailing situation on the Chinese Eastern Railway should be regarded as provisional, subject to regulation after the conference, on the basis of the Peking agreement and the Mukden agreement; thirdly, that the arrested citizens of the U. S. S. R. should be officially released, and deported to the U. S. S. R. The Chinese arrested in the U. S. S. R. should also be released. Please, let me have a reply by telephone [telegraph?] in regard to these three points.

Yours truly,

Chang Hsüeh-liang

  1. Translation from text printed in the Moscow Izvestia, No. 175, August 2, 1929; copy transmitted to the Department by the Chargé in Latvia in his despatch No. 6339, August 10; received August 24, 1929.