893.00/3–1547: Telegram
The Consul General at Dairen (Benninghoff) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 20—6:17 a.m.]
36. Consent of Soviets for Nationals46 to occupy Dairen not confirmed here (reference Mukden’s 31, March 12 to Nanking47). Soviet officials have stated their army would not permit fighting in naval base area. In any event Soviet interpretation of treaty would permit National troops in Dairen City only as Soviets claim sole responsibility for defense area under Article IV agreement in Port Arthur.
No Communists as such are known to be in area although several thousand are in locally created police or Peace Preservative Corps which largely locally recruited in lower ranks. Belief is that when Nationals enter, Soviets will protect real Communists and aid their escape, and will request Nationals retain police corps and civil administration framework. This point as well as interpretation treaty [Page 501] may have been stumbling blocks recent Pulantien talks (reference mytel 28, February 1048).
This office observation difficult because movements restricted to city, Soviet officials uncommunicative, and Chinese either afraid to talk or even hostile in case unavowed Communists placed in puppet regime
Relay Nanking, Shanghai, Mukden, Moscow.