Object of Troops Despatch Explained Moscow, Feb. 28, The official Tass agency to-day! issued details of the Japanese reply, Hirota, by the Vice C Foreign Afairs, M. Karakhan, last Friday.
'Mr, Hirota is stated to have presented a statement in which Government declares that It has no Knowledge of the proposal that the Japanese command should sign a contract for the transportation of Japanese forces on the Chinese Eastern' Railway." The Japaneee Government is at present making inquiries with the Japanese authori= ties in Manchuria "concerning the alleged assistance given by them to the White Guards. The Japanese Government is. also seeking information regarding the character of the new State in Manchuria.
The Japanese statement em-phasices that the only object for the despatch of Japanese troops east of Harbin is to protect Japa fosse subjects and the Government rethe Soviet of troops Imienpo and Hailun at the utmost, there is no intention of sending troops to the Soviet frontier.
Finally, the statement asks the Soviet. to. feel confident."that the Japanese forces will not violate the interests and rights of the Union of Socialist Soviet. Republics on the Chinese Eastern Railway.
'MIN. Karakhan replied that in view of the special circumstances, part ularly as. the Chinese authorities Manchuria and the Chinese section of the board of the Chinese Eastern Railway. had applied for permission for the transport of Iapanese troops, the Soviet Government agreed." to permit. the transport of a limited number of Japanese troops "to. Imienpo or Hailun on condition that the Japanese Government wold give assurances that the rights and interests Of the Soviet would not be violated.
M.. Karakh: joned Me. rota on. two points affecting the Treaty of Portsmouth, which the Japanese Ambassador promised. to wire to Tokyo immediately: first, the utilization of the Chinese East" ern Railway for strategical purposes violates Article VII of the Treaty and, on this point, the Soviet Government asks the Japanese Government for assurances; and, secondly, the Soviet Government has verified the information that Japanese troops are massing near the Soviet-Korean border, which is in contradiction to Article If of the Treaty.
On this point the Soviet desires
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.