740.0011 European War 1939/12420: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
124. Your 255, June 25, 8. a.m. You will have noted the statement of the Acting Secretary quoted in radio bulletin 148, June 23 in regard to the German attack upon Soviet Russia, the penultimate paragraph of which statement reads as follows: “In the opinion of this Government, consequently, any defense against Hitlerism, any rallying of the forces opposing Hitlerism, from whatever source those forces may spring, will hasten the eventual downfall of the present German leaders, and will therefore redound to the benefit of our own defense and security.”
In radio bulletin 149, June 24, mention is made that the Treasury Department had that day freed dollars 40,000,000 in frozen Russian [Page 281] credits in this country as a token of active American sympathy with the U. S. S. R. in its war with Germany.
In his press conference on June 25, the Acting Secretary stated, in response to inquiries made by correspondents during the past two or three days, that he was authorized by the President to state that in as much as the President finds that it is not in this present instance necessary for him to issue a proclamation in order to promote the security or preserve the peace of the United States, he has no intention of issuing a proclamation under the so-called Neutrality Act.49 In response to further questions, the Acting Secretary reminded the correspondents that the President has issued various proclamations defining so-called combat areas under the terms of previous proclamations and added that the “combat areas” do not include the Pacific region.
You may communicate the foregoing to General Chiang Kai-shek in such manner as you deem appropriate, informing him also that we appreciate his analysis of the situation as reported by you and are giving careful attention thereto.
- Approved November 4, 1939; 54 Stat. 4.↩