740.0011 European War 1939/12497: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 26—10:20 a.m.]
1219. The Chinese Ambassador50 called to see me this morning and expressed great satisfaction with recent international events. He said he had feared that the Soviet Union might be driven into the Axis, in which event the position of Chiang Kai-shek would have been hopeless. Now, however, Japan is surrounded by the British, Australians and Dutch on one side, the Chinese and Russians on another and the United States on the west and must shortly decide between attacking the Soviet Union and abandoning Central and Southern China, or refraining from such an attack and thereby impair the Axis.
The Ambassador said that he had been assured by the Soviet authorities that deliveries of war materials to China now en route would not be stopped but that he had gained the impression that no further deliveries would be made.
He also stated that he had recommended to his Government that steps be taken immediately for cooperation between the Chinese and Soviet Russian armies in the west [event?] of a Japanese attack on [Page 282] the Soviet Republic and that he understands that the chief Soviet adviser in Chungking already had adequate authority to make any such arrangements.
- Shao Li-tzu.↩