893.01 Manchuria/43: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 17—1:30 a.m.]
346. Following from American Consul General at Harbin:
“March 12, 4 p.m. Ohashi returned to Harbin from Tokyo this morning and inferred to me that the procedure of forming a new state would continue and stated that the matter of Chinese Maritime Customs revenue could, in his opinion, be arranged by allotting a certain proportion for service of foreign loans secured by the revenue, as in the case of Canton and Tientsin when the customs offices there were controlled by factions independent of Nanking. He added that he desired to aid in reconciling American opinion favorably to the actions of Japanese in trying to straighten out affairs in Manchuria and that he would do his utmost to bring about the actual realization of the open-door policy. He asserted that the Japanese Government did not desire to create Japanese monopolies in Manchuria and has no intention of having its army invade Siberia.”