Office of the Historian

740.00119 EAC/8–1644: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

Washington, August 16, 1944—11 p.m.

6506. Your 6591, August 16, 1 p.m., our 6366 August 11. Chiang Kai-shek having authorized Dr. H. H. Kung22 and General Shang Chen23 now in Washington to be informed of the proposed terms for the unconditional surrender of Germany as approved by the European Advisory Commission, the terms were read to these officials on August 14. We impressed upon the Chinese officials the top secrecy of the document and asked their assurances that the terms would not be communicated to Chungking by mail or by cable. The Chinese officials gave these assurances. No document was handed to the Chinese officials.24

Hull
  1. Chinese Minister of Finance and Chief Delegate to the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference at Bretton Woods.↩
  2. Head of the Chinese Military Mission in the United States.↩
  3. A memorandum by President Roosevelt to the Secretary of State, dated August 21, stated: “I do not think it is necessary to press this matter in view of the feeling of Gousev.” (740.00119 EAC/8–2144)↩