893.44 Chiang Kai-shek/44
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
Dr. Liu Chieh, Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy, called this afternoon at his request. Dr. Liu stated that he had returned today from New York and that he wished to call and inform us that Madame Chiang Kai-shek would be coming to Washington shortly.8 In further comment, Dr. Liu said that he thought Madame Chiang would arrive here sometime after the middle of the month probably about the 20th. Dr. Liu stated further that Madame Chiang would be in Washington for about a week; that arrangements for her visit had, he understood, been made with Madame Chiang directly by the White House; and that these arrangements included the question of arranging for Madame Chiang’s trip to Washington.
Dr. Liu said that he had called on Mr. Summerlin and Mr. Woodward9 to discuss various matters of protocol connected with Madame Chiang’s visit.
[Page 4]Dr. Liu referred to the fact that Madame Chiang had received a great many requests to make addresses at various places in this country; that arrangements relating to Madame Chiang’s time in New York after she left the hospital had been placed in the hands of an American committee there; and that Madame Chiang was to make a public address in Madison Square Garden on March 2.
With regard to the invitations which Madame Chiang had received to make addresses in Washington, Dr. Liu said that Madame Chiang had it in mind to make only one address while here.10
Dr. Liu stated further that Madame Chiang would make a visit to Chicago and then to the West Coast and contemplated making one public address in each of a few of the larger cities. Dr. Liu said that Madame Chiang planned not to make a great number of public speeches but to keep such speeches to a small number.
I told Dr. Liu that we wished him and the Embassy to feel free to come to us at any time with any question, relating to Madame Chiang’s visit; and that we all desired to be of the utmost helpfulness.
Dr. Liu expressed appreciation and said that if there came to our knowledge particulars as to the arrangements made by the White House with regard to Madame Chiang’s visit in Washington, he would appreciate it if we would pass this information on to the Embassy as it would be helpful to the Embassy in making its plans. I said that we would be very glad to keep this in mind.
- For information concerning visit of Mme. Chiang, see Department of State Bulletin, February 20, 1943, p. 165.↩
- George Thomas Summerlin and Stanley Woodward, Chief and Assistant Chief, respectively, of the Division of Protocol.↩
- Madame Chiang Kai-shek addressed the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 18, 1943; for texts of speeches, see Congressional Record, vol. 89, pt. 1, pp. 1080–1081, 1108–1109.↩