711.93/477
Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: I favor proceeding with an exchange of letters along the line suggested.80 You will note that FE81 reports that Mr. Pasvolsky favors such procedure. In the record, FE takes no position. Mr. Hamilton has told me off the record that he is “neutral.” Mr. Atcheson has told me off the record that he is favorably disposed.
The situation, in brief, is, it seems to me, this: The Chinese need assistance—of many sorts; we have promised them assistance; the material assistance which we expect to give them moves slowly and reaches them in a trickle; at this point their Minister of Foreign Affairs and their Ambassador here ask us for something in the way of moral encouragement, which it is within our power to give and the giving of which would cost us nothing and commit us to little; we must either give them this or in effect decline to give it. In my opinion it is better to say and to do “Yes” than in effect to say and to do “No”.