761.93/1615
Report by the Assistant Military Attaché in Japan (Weckerling)70
1. Since the announcement of the Soviet-Chinese non-aggression treaty by the Nanking Government on August 29th, the Japanese have been suspicious that this treaty contains secret clauses which obligate the Soviet Union to furnish military aid to China in return for certain political concessions which the Chinese would make regarding Outer and Inner Mongolia and railway construction in that area. The Japanese press is now convinced that a mutual assistance agreement has also been reached between the two countries which is operative at once as far as Soviet assistance, particularly military aircraft, is concerned.
2. Japanese Press Reports of Soviet Aid to China.
- (a)
- The Japanese press has, on several occasions recently, reported definitely that Soviet aid, especially aircraft, was being given China and that early in September or late August, Marshal Bluecher, commander of the Soviet Far Eastern Army, flew to Ulanbator where he met Mao Tse-tung, commander of the former Chinese “communist army” and made arrangements for supplying military matériel to China.
- (b)
- About the same time, the Japanese press reported that 72 Soviet military planes recently arrived in Shensi via Outer Mongolia, and that 144 more were expected.
- (c)
- According to Domei reports, nine (9) pursuit planes about August 20th were flown to China by Buryat-Mongol pilots via Sian.
- (d)
- According to the Asahi, the Chinese Kwantung [sic] Army has been “entirely bolshevized”, having as many as 20 Soviet officers assigned to each division as instructors and advisors.
3. Other Reports of Soviet Assistance to China.
A recent confidential cable report from the American Embassy, Nanking, stated authoritatively that 300 Soviet planes would be sent [Page 567] to China and concentrated at Lanchow (Kansu Province) where accommodations have been constructed. If this report is true, the planes will undoubtedly be flown via Tacheng, Tihwa, Hami (all in Sinkiang Province), and Suchow (Kansu Province) where airfields are located. Intermediate hops along this route are only about 300 miles or less and Tacheng is only 30 miles from Semiopol on the Turksib Railroad. This is the only route from Russia along which landing fields have been established and it has the additional advantage of being beyond the radius of probable action of Japanese aviation and so immune to interruption—advantages not enjoyed by routes farther to the east.
4. Japanese Efforts to Discover and Stop Soviet Aid.
(a) Concentration of Air Units in Chahar:
A well informed Japanese air officer said recently that a large portion of the Japanese air strength regularly stationed in Manchuria, estimated to be seven regiments, would be concentrated in western and southern Chahar for several weeks beginning September 26th or 27th, and intimated that suspicion of unspecified “Soviet actions” caused this concentration, carried out under the guise of maneuvers.
(b) Inspection of Captured Chinese Matériel:
Well-informed Japanese stated that the Japanese Army and Navy are making every effort to identify captured or abandoned Chinese equipment, clothing, matériel, etc., as being of possible Soviet manufacture. So far, nothing has appeared in the press, according to the same source, which would convict the Soviet Union of supplying arms to China. A Japanese staff officer today confirmed the above.
5. Japanese Reaction.
- (a)
- The utterances of prominent Japanese and the press indicate there is little doubt in Japan that aid is being supplied to China by Russia. Army officers privately admit their belief that Soviet aid is being given China in “unimportant quantities” because of the difficulties of transportation. No official statements have been made by Army leaders regarding this question, and this reticence is seen by well-informed Japanese as indicating that the Army views present relations between Japan and Soviet Russia as “alarming.”
- (b)
- Young Japanese staff officers state confidentially their opinion that the Japanese Army is not carrying on the China operations with the enthusiasm it would if Soviet Russia were Japan’s opponent. These young officers, who are in responsible posts in the War Office and General Staff, believe that the opportune time to deal with Soviet Russia will be immediately after the Sino-Japanese operations are concluded. These same officers, however, do not believe that Russia intends to attack Japan.
6. Japanese Troops in Saghalien.
Another indication of the ill-feeling which existed between Japan and the Soviet Union even before the outbreak of the Lukowkiao incident on July 7th, was the reported dispatch of troops to Karafuto, the southern half of the island of Saghalien belonging to Japan. It was reported that the 5th Air Regiment (two squadrons each of pursuit and observation aviation) was ready to be moved to Karafuto when the China trouble started and reliable American business men stated that orders for 500,000 gallons of aviation gasoline were placed with oil companies about July 10th, subsequently cancelled. Other Americans who were in the Hokkaido and Saghalien about the middle of July and later, stated that troops, strength unknown, had been moved from the mainland and Hokkaido to Saghalien.
This information was confirmed by a well informed Japanese who was in the Hokkaido about the same time, and stated that the opinion of Hokkaido residents was that “about half the troops in Hokkaido” (about 7,000 men), had been sent to Karafuto where they are still stationed. Letters and postcards from these men received by their families in Japan proper and Hokkaido, seen by the same source, are postmarked “Soya”, which is a small postoffice near the railway terminus and port of embarkation for Karafuto of Wakkanai.
7. Comments.
In spite of the present hostilities in China, there is no doubt that now, as for years past, the Japanese Army regards Soviet Russia as its principal enemy, and is convinced that nothing can prevent another Russo-Japanese war. It is difficult to believe that the Japanese Army wants war with Russia while fighting is going on in China, but it is conceivable that if Soviet aid to China has a significant influence on Japanese operations in China, resentment will be too great to be controlled.
Source: As indicated.
Captain, Infantry, DOL.
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the War Department about October 28.↩