761.9315 Manchuria/212: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 2—7:13 a.m.]
Following from Harbin to Peiping:
“5, February 1, 4 p.m. My telegram No. 4, January 31, 3 p.m. The Japanese Consul General attributes the failure of the conference to a sudden stiffening of the attitude of the Soviet-Mongol delegation dictated by Moscow after the Asama Maru incident.25 He does not believe that hostilities will be resumed at this time and says that the demarcation of the Nomonhan border will be left to a general border commission, the establishment of which was recently proposed by Tokyo and is now being considered by the two Governments.
Repeated to Tokyo and Moscow.”
Repeated to Chungking.
- This incident, which occurred on January 21, involved the boarding by British naval authorities of the Japanese steamship Asama Maru in the East China Sea and the removal therefrom of a number of Germans.↩