893.154/366a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
194. For the Ambassador from Currie. Do you think that Chiang Kai-shek is in fact ready to grant to an American full authority over the Burma road? Should this be the case, what is the opinion of yourself, McHugh and Lattimore whether Arnstein should for the time being and in order to get the new set-up under way fill the position? Do you think that he would be acceptable to Chiang Kai-shek? Please communicate to Arnstein my view, in which Mr. Harry Hopkins concurs, that he should “keep mum” and “sit tight” for the time being pending the working out of some satisfactory arrangement. I feel that if there is a real opportunity to bring about a centralization of authority over the Burma road, we should not fail to take advantage of such opportunity. It seems to me that it would not be advisable to attempt to press Chiang Kai-shek to appoint anyone who is not persona grata. [Currie.]