811.20 Defense (M)/195: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)

140. The American Embassy at Vichy (Paris) has been informed by Wellington Koo that “according to Chungking the Soviet Union has waived claim to the Selenga cargo” and reports further that Koo “understood that Moscow would instruct the Soviet Chargé at Vichy accordingly”. French officials have advised the American Embassy that if this is the situation, the French Government will give orders for the immediate release of the ores in question.

The Department has not yet been informed however that the Soviet Government has taken any action on the matter and believes it possible that Wellington Koo was misinformed or misunderstood his instructions. Your 382, August 6, 5 p.m.,35 does not indicate that the matter has been cleared with the Moscow Government by the Chungking Government. Please check with the Chinese authorities, report to the Department, and secure if desirable clarifying instructions to Wellington Koo.

Welles
  1. Quoted in telegram No. 235, August 6, 8 p.m., supra.