811.113 Senate Investigation/39
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Chinese Minister31 called and handed me an aide-mémoire, of which the attached is a copy.32 He is requesting the Department to furnish the names of the General and other officials of China referred to in the munitions investigation of the Senate Committee but not expressly named.
[Page 439]I told the Minister that at first impression I would be disposed to transmit his request to Senator Nye with the statement that I knew of no objection to furnishing the information requested provided it was kept confidential by the Chinese officials and the Chinese Government. I stated that this would give his Government full information on which to base any sort of investigation it might desire to prosecute. I added that should the Chinese Government publish these names as the ones referred to in the investigation of the Munitions Committee here, it would be the same thing as the Munitions Committee itself making them public except that it would be done indirectly.
The Minister replied that he would welcome this latter course.
I suggested to him that I would think the matter over a little further and reserve the right to modify my attitude if any unexpected facts or developments not within my mind at present should arise.