793.94/16241: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 17—4:55 p.m.]
524. My British colleague has just called to give me the substance of recent conversations which he has had with Generalissimo. He came at the suggestion of the Generalissimo. Latter has asked me to see him tomorrow afternoon when I expect he will say the same thing to me. Generalissimo indicated surprise that Great Britain and the United States continued to treat China as “semi-colonial power” and to continue to place a low value on what China might do to assist in opposing Japan. He referred to the fact that Turkey was accepted as an equal because she had a large army and that Japan was treated as an equal because she had a large navy. He dwelt upon China’s army and China’s position as a potential factor because of her man power which England and the United States would need sooner or later.
He intimated surprise that Great Britain and the United States had not yet sought the help of China and a feeling of discouragement that we seemed to expect China to come hat in hand. He insisted that China’s army was capable of rendering assistance and if supplied with equipment would be able to take the initiative in a decisive way. He stated that he was not asking for immediate help of this character saying that that could follow in time but said that while China was capable of continuing its resistance China was rapidly becoming economically exhausted and had reached a point where it must decide whether it was worth while going on.
My British colleague stated that he had communicated the substance of this to London and that he was expressing the opinion that the time had come when something should be done to show that the British were prepared to do something more than simply open a road. He was urging that important British military representatives come to China for the purpose of staff talks. He stated that this, was the first time that he had seen Chiang when he detected anything approaching dejection.
[Page 428]I know from conversations that are repeated to me that there is considerable worry among the Chinese at the present time that the Japanese may begin to appease the United States with the result that we will do nothing out here in the Far East to prevent onward march of Japanese. The Chinese have from the beginning held the opinion that sooner or later the United States and Japan would come to war. Recent acts and statements by us convince them that this belief has been justified, that war between the United States and Japan is near with consequent beneficial results to China. They fear this may come too late. They are worried about the attitude of Russia but in any case and under the best of conditions expect little assistance from Russia. They realize that if Japan, Germany and Italy succeed in their several spheres of action China will suffer. Chiang naturally wonders why Great Britain and the United States who he feels are working together against a common enemy do not accept publicly the partnership of China which has and is suffering vitally in an interest which is fundamentally as much theirs as it is China’s. The Generalissimo obviously wants the moral support that such public recognition would give.
I am sending the above now and shall communicate the result of my conversation with Chiang Kai-shek tomorrow evening.
Sent to the Department only.