761.93 Manchuria/134: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 1—6:30 a.m.]
212. My 210, July 30, 1 p.m. Tass reports in today’s Soviet press that on July 31 Japanese military forces violated the Soviet border on the heights west of Lake Khasan and that Japanese troops opening unexpected artillery fire during the night suddenly attacked troops of the border guard of the Soviet Union stationed on the frontier. The Japanese occupied Soviet territory to a depth of 4 kilometres. On the heights west of Lake Khasan a clash took place which lasted for several hours. The report adds that the Japanese military forces received a severe repulse and the Japanese troops suffered heavy losses in men and materials. The losses of the Soviet troops are being investigated.