893.24/1403
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
Mr. Liu Chieh, Counselor of the Chinese Embassy, telephoned. He referred to the text of a proposed lend-lease agreement between the United States and China, a draft of which the Secretary of State handed to Dr. T. V. Soong and to him on May 27.
Mr. Liu said that Dr. Soong had received a telegram from Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek authorizing Dr. Soong to sign as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Dr. Soong suggested that the agreement be signed tomorrow.
I said that I understood from this that the text as presented to Dr. Soong and Mr. Liu Chieh on May 27 was satisfactory to the Chinese Government. Mr. Liu replied in the affirmative.
I commented further that the Chinese Government had acted in this matter with gratifying speed. I said that I did not know whether [Page 572] we could act with comparable speed but that I would make inquiries and would then get in touch with Mr. Liu Chieh.
[For text of preliminary agreement between the United States and China on principles applying to mutual aid in the prosecution of the war against aggression (Lend-Lease), signed June 2, 1942, see Executive Agreement Series No. 251, or 56 Stat. 1494.]