761.9315 Manchuria/169: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 16—8:55 a.m.]
548. My 546, September 15, 12 p.m. A Tass communiqué in today’s press states that as a result of conversations which have taken place in the last few days between the Japanese Ambassador Togo and People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov both parties, i. e., Japanese-Manchurian and Soviet-Mongolian, have reached the following agreement:
- 1.
- The Japanese-Manchurian and Soviet-Mongolian forces shall cease all military activity at 2 p.m. Moscow time on September 16.
- 2.
- The Japanese-Manchurian and Soviet-Mongolian forces shall remain on the lines occupied by them at 13 o’clock Moscow time September 15.
- 3.
- Representatives of the forces of both sides shall immediately carry out points 1 and 2 of the present agreement.
- 4.
- Prisoners and dead of both sides shall be exchanged and the military representatives of both sides shall immediately reach and put into effect an agreement in respect thereto.
“In addition in the conversations between Togo and Molotov an agreement was reached that for the purpose of the demarcation of the boundaries of the Mongolian People’s Republic and Manchukuo in the region of the recent conflict there shall be organized as soon as possible a commission consisting of two representatives of the Soviet-Mongolian side and two of the Japanese-Manchurian side. The commission shall enter upon its work immediately upon its creation.”
Although according to the communiqué the agreement refers only to the termination of hostilities on the border and demarcation of the boundary in that region, the settlement of the outstanding point of issue in Soviet-Japanese relations undoubtedly constitutes a step in the adjustment of general relations between the two countries. The press also announces the appointment of K. A. Smetanin as Soviet Ambassador to Japan.
Repeated to Tokyo.