Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1942, China

740.0011 Pacific War/2430

The Department of State to the Chinese Embassy ⁷⁸

Memorandum

Reference is made to the telegram from the Chinese Foreign Office which the Counselor of the Chinese Embassy left at the Department on April 18, 1942, in regard to a proposed statement by General Chiang Kai-shek as follows:

[Here follows text printed on page 32, beginning with the word “First”.]

It is understood from the Chinese Embassy that the British Government is agreeable to the issuance of the proposed statement.

The Government of the United States, for its part, concurs in the purpose which the Chinese Government has in mind and, if General Chiang issues the statement, will expect to take an informal occasion to make an appropriate supporting statement.

In view of the possibility that the use of the term “Allied Nations” contained in the text received from the Chinese Embassy might give rise in some quarters to misunderstanding, this Government in its supporting statement would, if there were need to refer to the nations engaged in the common war effort, substitute for the term in question—at least in the initial reference—words such as “the nations at war with Japan”.

This Government also offers for the consideration of the Chinese Government the observation that it is doubtful whether it is desirable to stress too strongly that the Thai Government yielded to force majeure in signing a treaty of alliance with Japan and in declaring war on the United States and Great Britain, as set forth in the first sentence of the first point of the proposed Chinese declaration. Question is raised whether that sentence might not be omitted. Such omission would bring the proposed Chinese declaration into conformity in this respect with the line of propaganda heretofore followed by this Government.

The cooperative spirit which caused the Chinese Government to confer with this Government in the matter is much appreciated.⁷⁹

Washington , May 6, 1942.

78. Handed on May 6 by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Atcheson) to the Counselor of the Chinese Embassy (Liu Chieh). The Assistant Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Smyth) on May 11 orally communicated the “substance” of the memorandum to the First Secretary of the British Embassy (Hayter), and on May 14 showed it to Ashley Clarke of the British Foreign Office. A copy of this memorandum and of the telegram received from the Chinese Embassy on April 18 were transmitted to the Ambassador in China for his information in Department’s No. 63, May 12, 1942.
79. On March 3, 1943, the Chinese Embassy informed the Department that Generalissimo Chiang’s statement concerning Thailand had been issued on February 17. No action by the United States was expected. (740.0011 Pacific War/3146.)