893.24/1322: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley)
217. Reference your 302, April 10, 2 a.m. [p.m.], and 350, May 2, 10 a.m., which have been repeated by the Department to Chungking.
The Counselor of the Chinese Embassy on May 6 presented to the Department an informal request of the Chinese Government that this Government, if it considered it practicable, employ its good offices in this matter with the Soviet Government.
With the severing of the Burma Road, which has been China’s chief channel of communication and supply with the outside world, the importance to China and to the cause of the United Nations as a whole of maintaining a continuous flow of essential military supplies to China by all possible available means cannot be too strongly emphasized. The Department therefore desires that, in your discretion, [Page 593] you avail yourself of suitable opportunities in conversations with appropriate Soviet officials to support informally the efforts of your Chinese colleague to prevail upon the Soviet Government to cooperate in facilitating the movement of supplies to China through the Soviet Union.