793.94/14135: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:52 p.m.]
507. Minister for Foreign Affairs53 asked me to see him yesterday the 20th and after referring to Japanese organization of South China stated that he was anxious to know reaction of United States to this new situation. I explained that I was unable to enlighten him as I had no information bearing upon this question. Foreign Minister then said that Chinese Government, when inquiring at London, Paris and Moscow, had been told by those powers that they were waiting upon initiative by the United States before giving assistance to China in the present situation. He said that the Government and people of China hoped that the United States would take the initiative in assisting the Chinese to continue resistance to the Japanese either by refusing supplies to the Japanese or by financial assistance to the Chinese or, failing such positive acts of assistance they hoped that the American [Page 329] Government would take the initiative and concert with the powers to bring about peace in the Pacific. He referred with appreciation to the fact that the Government of the United States had already done something in that it had expressed its disapproval of sales of planes to Japan by American plane manufacturers, which he said had had an effect. He hoped we might go farther and similarly disapprove supplies of petroleum products and similar supplies.
I remarked that I would be happy to communicate his message to you, that I was not informed as to all measures that the American Government might be able to take within the limits of law. I expressed my conviction that these matters had been thoroughly canvassed by the leaders of the administration and my belief that when this present message came before them there would be found to exist a feeling that the American Government had perhaps done more than any other single power in giving positive assistance to the Chinese Government through its purchase of Chinese silver thereby enabling the Chinese Government to stabilize its currency and maintain it among the currencies of the world. Minister for Foreign Affairs admitted this and expressed gratitude of the Chinese Government and people. He again said that something more was needed now if China was to continue its resistance of [or] if an honorable peace was to be made. With reference to the establishment of peace I said that the American Government was anxious to see peace reestablished, that we had canvassed the subject of good offices which was previously brought up by the Minister (see my 376, July 27, 2 p.m.) and that as a result we had come to the conclusion that the leaders of the Japanese military were not ready to receive or entertain proposals which would be acceptable to the Chinese. I said, however, that I would communicate the purport of our conversation to you and that I would communicate to him any message that you might care to send.
- Wang Chung-hui.↩