740.0011 Moscow/10–1843

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

During an intermission for tea, after Mr. Molotov had raised objections to the inclusion of China in the Four-Nation Interim Agreement, I said to him privately that the American Government is doing everything and has done everything possible with respect to the Chinese situation, that it would be impossible in my judgment to omit China from the Four-Nation Agreement, that it was the attitude of my government that China has been in the world picture as one of the Big Four for the prosecution of the war and for her now to be dumped out on her face by Russia, Great Britain and the United States in connection with the proposed Four-Nation Agreement would create in all probability the most terrific repercussions, both political and military, in the Pacific area, and that this might call for all sorts of readjustments by my Government for the purpose of keeping properly stabilized the political and military situation in the Pacific. I added that Great Britain would probably be likewise affected so far as giving attention to the Pacific might be concerned. I said furthermore that public opinion in my own country would be hopelessly torn and rent by the news that this Government had joined with the Soviet Government in Moscow to throw China out of the war picture, as the [Page 603] public would probably interpret her exclusion from the Four-Nation Declaration proposal.34b These things were said in private to Mr. Molotov and he appeared to recognize the reasonableness of what I said.

We then turned to the question of developing closer relations between our two countries and I emphasized the entire practicability of the matter, resting this view on the broad condition that there are absolutely no material interests or international interests that are not common to both countries, and that each supplements the other with respect to trade and general economic relations, etc. I added, before leaving, that I would be glad to sit down and talk with him about some of the important points involved in the undertaking to bring about closer relations and closer understanding. He said he would be glad to take these matters up with me at any time.

  1. For related correspondence, see Foreign Relations, 1943, China, pp. 819 ff.