While it is obvious that there can be no official discussion of political issues, and while all formal negotiation between the Verkhne-Udinsk mission and the Chinese Government will undoubtedly be confined to commercial topics, it is equally obvious that the major pul pose of the mission is to win Chi ese goodwill and to make sure of China's moral support for Russia in the event of a conflict with Japan. This is not_a secret motive. It is recognized by every Legation in Peking and is frankly announced in official publications from Moscow. Undoubtedly—the Policy of the Verkhne-Udinsk Government will be to reopen trade relations with China, and at the same time earn the good opinion of the Chinese by cancelling certain of the special privileges which Russia enjoys in China and in Chinese territories.
To this the Russian Legation is of course opposed and, at the same time, the Legation argues that the Opening of direct relations between China and Soviet Russia will
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.