124.93/568
Memorandum by the Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Davies), Temporarily in the United States
General Stilwell has discussed with me the request which he is now making for the detail of four Foreign Service officers to him.
The request arises from the General’s realization that he is confronted constantly with complicated political, economic and psychological problems in the prosecution of the war against the enemy, and in his relations and in his commanders’ relations with Chinese officials from General on down, British civil officials in India, British administrators in Burma, the various Burmese factions, the free Thais, the Vichy French, the free French, and the Indochinese; that his staff officers—professional military men—are for the most part not equipped to collect and evaluate information nor advise in these matters; and that he must perforce turn elsewhere for this vital intelligence and advice.
OSS, BEW and OWI are placing at his disposal experts in economic and psychological warfare. Some of this personnel has had political reporting experience in the Far East. These experts will collect information by various means and two small groups of them will constitute Boards of Research and Analysis in American Army Headquarters at Chungking and New Delhi. All incoming information will be funneled into the Boards of Research and Analysis which will cross-check and evaluate material and will prepare basic studies for the General.
The two Boards will be headed by OSS representatives who will operate under orders issued by General Stilwell or his deputy in this undertaking. The Boards will technically be OSS organizations and so will report back to General Donovan. I anticipate, however, that BEW and OWI representatives will also sit in on the Boards. If they do, they will probably keep their Washington offices informed of such findings of the Boards as may be of appropriate interest.
General Stilwell has orally charged me with supervising this political, economic and psychological intelligence and warfare program. As a Foreign Service officer somewhat anxious over the encroachment of new Government agencies in the field of foreign affairs, I feel not only as the General does—that the detail of the four officers requested will be of very real assistance to him in his tremendously difficult and delicate task—but also that the five of us working in close [Page 61] coordination under the guidance of the Ambassador at Chungking and Chief of Mission at New Delhi can give some political direction to this program and forestall errors which representatives of the new agencies might otherwise commit. The five of us would of course keep the Embassy or Mission informed regarding the progress of the program and report intelligence of interest.
The request for the detail of Mr. Emmerson72 is based on the General’s urgent need for a Japan expert at his Chungking headquarters. He is at present without one. If the General’s request for Mr. Emmerson is complied with, Mr. Emmerson will probably be designated as a member of the Board of Research and Analysis and will probably be called upon to give advice in Japanese political, economic and psychological matters.
The request for Mr. Service73 is based upon a pressing need for an officer with an excellent command of the Chinese language and one possessing wide contact with and knowledge of Chinese officials. General Stilwell knows Mr. Service and is particularly anxious to have him on his staff. While Mr. Service would probably spend most of his time in Chungking on the Board of Research and Analysis and provide information and advice to General Stilwell in his highly delicate relations with the Generalissimo and other Chinese officials, Mr. Service would probably also be used for occasional special investigation trips into the interior.
Mr. Ludden74 will be of great use operating in Yunnan Province along the Burmese, Thai and Indochina borders, facilitating the relations between American units in these areas and the local Chinese officials. He will also be most valuable in advising OSS and Army units in their contacts with free Thais, British administrators in Burma, Burmese, the French factions and Indochinese. Finally, he will have first-hand contact with intelligence sources channeling in from Burma, Thailand and Indochina.
Mr. Krentz75 would function in New Delhi as a member of the Board of Research and Analysis, as an advisor in political matters to General Stilwell’s deputy Chief of Staff at New Delhi, as a political advisor to OSS and OWI organizations in India, and as a liaison between the Board and the Mission.
- John K. Emmerson, Third Secretary of Embassy in Peru since returning from Japan.↩
- John S. Service, Third Secretary of Embassy in China.↩
- Raymond P. Ludden, Consul at Kunming and subsequently appointed Second Secretary of Embassy in China, at Chungking.↩
- Kenneth C. Krentz, Consul at Bombay and previously at Mukden.↩