790.00/5
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)17
Far Eastern Matters Involving Relations Between the United States and Great Britain
1. The Situation in India.
Without offering any comment as to the merits of the Indian situation and how best to deal with it, Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese Government naturally view the Indian situation with serious concern. If the situation there disintegrates, China will regard that development, first, as an evidence of failure of British leadership and, second, as an evidence of disinclination or inability on the part of the United States Government to press upon the British Government the views of the American public. This is simply an objective statement of how the Chinese would regard any such development. It is obvious that such Chinese reaction to such a contingency would be seriously harmful to the cause of the United Nations.
2. The Burma Campaign.
- a.
- The Chinese Government sets great store on the retaking of Burma by United Nations forces. If the situation in India disintegrates, the effect on the Burma campaign may be disastrous.
- b.
- The Burma campaign, to be successful militarily and politically, should be a campaign carried out by the joint efforts of the British, the Americans and the Chinese. Every effort should be put forth to make the campaign such a three-cornered partnership. If any one of the three logical partners should drop out or not make its maximum contribution the common cause of the United Nations in the Far East would suffer.
3. The Place of China in the United Nations War Effort.
- a.
- China’s continuance as an active belligerent on the side of the United Nations is the best insurance that the present war not become a race war. This is extremely important not only for the present but for the long future as well.
- b.
- There are many indications that a substantial number of articulate and influential Chinese feel that the war is being conducted as an American-British affair. Toward remedying this situation it is believed important that greater efforts be made in various fields to cause the Chinese to realize that they are full and important partners in the common war effort.
4. Victory against Japan Should Be a Common Victory.
It is important that the victory achieved by the United Nations against Japan should be a common victory and not a victory achieved by any one of the United Nations. Future peace and stability in the Far East depend to a large measure as in other areas of the world on cooperative relationships among nations based upon liberal, progressive principles. Should China alone be chiefly responsible for victory against Japan, the tendency would be for China to adopt individualistic, nationalistic policies rather than cooperative, broad-gauge policies. Should the United States be chiefly responsible for victory against Japan, similar results might be anticipated. Should Great Britain be chiefly responsible, similar results might be anticipated. Should the Soviet Union join the war against Japan and be chiefly responsible for victory against Japan, similar results might be anticipated. It is thus highly important that the general situation relating to conduct of the war against Japan be not permitted to develop in such a way that Japan’s defeat be accomplished by the effort of one alone of the United Nations. Victory over Japan should come from a common effort, each country contributing its maximum.
- On March 12, 1943, Mr. Hamilton submitted this memorandum to the Under Secretary of State (Welles) with this comment: “It is suggested that you may find same of the observations made in this memorandum of interest in conversations with Mr. Eden.” Anthony Eden was British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩