893.24/1658
Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: 1. Referring to the next to the last paragraph of your memorandum of conversation with Dr. Soong of September 2:
Mr. Hiss30 and I have been looking into the question of the Canadian promise to send munitions to China. We find that the question of that promise was quickly gotten into the hands of the Joint War Aid Committee—U.S.–Canada—as Dr. Soong might well have and probably did know that it would—and that that Committee has been considering the whole question from point of view of coordination, available transportation, timing, etc. This Department is now represented on that Committee by Mr. Hickerson31 but this representation has been achieved only very recently. The Committee has already approved release of something over 7,000 tons of the munitions in question, and expects to release further amounts when and as release [Page 111] seems practicable. There is an all-influencing difference of opinion between Dr. Soong on the one hand and the American and Canadian officials who have the say so on the other hand regarding the question of transportation between Assam and China and the question of size, safeguarding and liquidation of stock piles in Assam. In that connection, Dr. Soong seems perhaps overly sanguine and the Canadian and American officials who have the say so seem perhaps unduly conservative. Pressure by the President upon the latter might perhaps cause them to see the possibilities in a somewhat less conservative light. Also, recent reports indicate that the existing stock piles in Assam, for the safeguarding of which the U. S. Army is responsible, are deteriorating from obvious neglect. A few words on that subject by the President might help toward improving that situation.
2. With regard to the last paragraph of your same memorandum:
It may with ample warrant be doubted whether the time has yet come when it would be practicable for the British and U. S. General Staffs to accord to China a place on the Combined General Staff. It would seem, however, that the time has come when China’s standing request for representation on the Combined Munitions Board might to advantage be given favorable consideration. There are, of course, substantial reasons which can be advanced for keeping the Combined Munitions Board an exclusively American and British organization; but, on the other hand, from a political point of view and from point of view of facilitating administration and of applying in practice the principle of cooperation in the military effort, there are weighty considerations pro giving the Chinese a membership representation on that board. This question should have the President’s consideration in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief and his capacity as ultimate arbiter of questions of foreign relations.