861.77/1968
The Minister in China (Crane) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received February 24.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegram of September 24th, 1920, 11:00 a.m., No. 268,80 regarding Japanese troops in the Chinese Eastern Railway zone. I now learn from the Foreign Office that on or about December 14th, 1920, the Japanese Minister again informed the Chinese Government, in substance, that the Japanese Government declined to withdraw its troops from the zone on the ground that troubles existed in the zone and that the Bolshevik activities rendered it inadvisable at the present time to withdraw; that there was the necessity for the Japanese army stationed in North Manchuria to maintain communications with Japanese forces in South Manchuria; and furthermore that in maintaining their forces in the zone Japan was not violating the inter-allied agreement for the maintenance of troops in the Chinese Eastern Railway Zone.
I have [etc.]