Office of the Historian

740.00119 PW/8–2345: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)53

Washington, August 23, 1945—7 p.m.

7199. Please see the Minister of Foreign Affairs54 as soon as conveniently possible and give him a message from me along the following lines.

As the procedure for the surrender of the Japanese forces was laid down in General Order No. 1,55 which was sent by President Truman to the Head of the Government to which you are accredited,56 and as this procedure contained a specific provision that the Japanese forces in China would surrender to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, this Government thought it would be advisable to have this procedure made public in order to offset any possibility that other elements in China than those of the Chinese National Government might attempt to bring about surrender of the Japanese forces to someone other than Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek or his duly authorized designate. Having this in mind, I have drawn up the following statement which I would like to make within the next few days. I would be grateful to have any comments you may wish to make with regard to this statement.

“Proposed Statement on China

“As a result of reports from China, public concern is quite understandably being expressed over the threat of civil strife in China between the forces of the Chinese National Government and the Chinese Communist forces, and over the related and critical situation that may develop with regard to the surrender of Japanese forces in China.

“It is a matter of agreement among the Governments of the U. S. S. R., the United Kingdom, China and the United States that Japanese forces in the theater of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s command shall surrender to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, as Allied Commander-in-Chief in that area, or to his designated representatives. Instructions in that sense have been given to General MacArthur, the Allied Supreme Commander, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek has been informed.

“It has been the consistent policy of the United States Government to encourage internal unity in China for prosecution of the war and [Page 524] to encourage the development of a strong democratic China. This continues to be our policy and we stand ready to assist the Chinese in any way practicable toward a peaceful adjustment of their internal difficulties and the achievement of political unity based on democratic principles. In view of the agreement by the Powers as to the surrender procedure, we do not believe that the issue now being raised by the Chinese Communists forces in regard to the surrender procedure of Japanese forces is conducive to the attainment of these objectives.”

Byrnes

  1. The same on the same date sent as No. 1898 to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman).

    In telegram No. 3069, August 27, 1 p.m., Ambassador Harriman replied that the Soviet Vice Commissar for Foreign Affairs (Vyshinsky) requested him to inform the Secretary of State that the Soviet Government had no observations to make with respect to the text of the declaration concerning China (740.00119PW/8–2745).

    ↩
  2. Ernest Bevin, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩
  3. Dated August 15, p. 530.↩
  4. Clement R. Attlee, British Prime Minister. Telegram apparently sent by the White House; copy not found in Department files.↩