893.00/5–2945
The President’s1 Chief of Staff (Leahy) to the Secretary of State (Stettinius)2
Memorandum for the Secretary of State:
The following message from Ambassador Hurley to the President, is forwarded requesting the preparation of a reply for the President’s consideration:3
. . . . . .
The Generalissimo amplified Roosevelt’s position by stating to me that Roosevelt said to him at Cairo that he was in favor of the return of Hongkong to China and had so advised the British. He then asked the Generalissimo if on the return of Hongkong the National Government of China would declare Hongkong a free port. The Generalissimo said the Government of China would make Hongkong a free port. I am familiar with the Roosevelt policy in regard to Hongkong but I do not have a written directive on that subject.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- This and subsequent references to the President (except where otherwise indicated) are to Truman, who succeeded Roosevelt upon the death of the latter, on April 12, 1945.↩
- The source text is a copy typed in the Department of State. The original sent to the Secretary of State has not been found.↩
- Grew’s telegram of June 10, 1945, to Hurley at Chungking, containing Truman’s reply, is scheduled to be published subsequently in another volume of the Foreign Relations series.↩