AN ABRUPT NOTE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 740, 19 April 1933, Page 1

AN ABRUPT NOTE.

Soviet Makes Complaints to Japanese. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. MOSCOW, April 18. An abrupt Note was handed to the Japanese Ambassador citing recent incidents on the Chinese Eastern Railway as being prejudicial to Soviet interests and asking for a speedy reply guaranteeing that efficient measures would be taken to safeguard the Soviet rights. The Note complains of the seizure of the railway property by the Manchukuo authorities, and robbery, murder, kidnapping, and torture of Russians employed on the line, and slso the failure to pay for the transport of Japanese soldiers. The Soviet recently seized most of the rolling stock on the Chinese Eastern Railway, in which it has a half interest. Following Moscow’s consent to return the Chinese Eastern Railway’s rolling stock, except the locomotives, the Manchukuo Government presented a Note demanding the unconditional return of all engines belonging to the Chinese Eastern Railway. It was believed that if the Soviet called a strike on the railway or hedged in any way, the Manchukuo Government would proceed to seize the whole line in which Russia owns a half share.