Editorial Note
No official record of the substance of this meeting has been found. The time and place of the meeting are indicated in the Log, ante, p. 298, which indicates that tea was served.
Elliott Roosevelt, p. 158, says that Madame Chiang described her plans for future improvements in China, particularly in the matter of literacy. According to the same source, Roosevelt and Chiang again referred to the question of unity in China, “specifically as regarded the Chinese Communists” (see the editorial note, ante, p. 323).
Stilwell’s Command Problems, p. 65, indicates that operations in the China–Burma–India theater were also discussed and that Chiang “reversed himself on every point.” The points in question were those set forth in C. C. S. 411/2 (post, p. 430), to which Chiang apparently had agreed in a meeting with Churchill and Mountbatten earlier the same day. See also The Stilwell Papers, p. 246.
In a message to Roosevelt, dated March 27, 1944, Chiang wrote: “In the course of our conversations at Cairo I told you that as soon [Page 350] as the British began large scale amphibious operations along the Burma coast, our main forces would launch a vigorous attack on Burma with all their might.” Stilwell’s Command Problems, p. 308. See also post, p. 874.
It was probably at this meeting that Roosevelt gave Chiang the promise (referred to in Churchill, p. 328) “of a considerable amphibious operation across the Bay of Bengal within the next few months.” According to Ehrman (vol. V, p. 165), this promise was given before November 26. Alanbrooke (p. 63), recollected the promise as having been given “on the first day of our Cairo meetings,” but this appears unlikely.
Stilwell’s Command Problems, p. 64, gives an account of a meeting of Marshall and Stilwell with Roosevelt immediately preceding Roosevelt’s meeting with Chiang. At the earlier meeting Roosevelt had promised to speak to Chiang “at once” about granting Stilwell more power over Chinese troops.
For other subjects which were discussed by Roosevelt and Chiang at Cairo and which may have been discussed in whole or in part at this meeting, see the editorial note, post, p. 366.