793.94/15552: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:12 p.m.]
3018. The Chinese Ambassador to London called on me yesterday and returned this morning to leave with me an aide-mémoire which reads:
“The capture of the town of Nanning by the Japanese will have no important effect on the general Chinese military plan against Japanese aggression. Nevertheless the position of this town close to the frontier of Indo-China should retain the serious attention of the French Government. It is in the interest of Indo-China to see the Japanese Army thrown out of this region immediately.
The only means to arrive at this result is the following: Chinese troops must repulse the Japanese. To accomplish this result two suggestions have been made to the French authorities: (1) material aid insofar as possible, for example artillery and aviation preferably sent by way of Indo-China; (2) the immediate sending of a French military mission to China”.
Chauvel told me today that the Chinese Chargé d’Affaires in Paris had called on him and had made statements which were on all fours with those contained in the aide-mémoire quoted above. I asked Chauvel what was the meaning of these maneuvers. He said that since Wellington Koo21 was not in Paris the Chinese Ambassador in London was carrying on considerable diplomatic negotiations in Paris which undoubtedly explained his visit to me.
[Page 330]Chauvel showed me a telegram to the French Government from Chungking which stated that the troops of Chiang Kai Shek had advanced successfully against the Japanese and had naturally reached the suburbs of Nanning.
Chauvel said that he had also received a visit from Li Yu Ying.
Li Yu Ying had made the same statements to him that he had made to me, reported in my 2978, December 14, 8 p.m.22
In reply he suggested to Li Yu Ying that the greatest aid that China could give to France today would be to furnish certain rare metals which were essential for France’s war industry.
He had also taken the occasion to express the profound gratitude of the French Government to Chiang Kai Shek for his offer of assistance.