895.01/340: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
813. The views and opinions which you expressed to the Korean “Foreign Minister” (your despatch no. 2583, dated May 19, 1944) have the full approval of the Department. In view of the statement in your telegram no. 969 June 3, 5 p.m., that Koreans plan to approach the Vice President on the subject of recognition, please acquaint him with the contents of your despatch, but point out to him that your comments regarding the Chinese role in Korean affairs do not imply that this Government would not deplore recognition of a Korean Government by China without full prior consultation with us. If the Vice President so desires, he might, if approached by Koreans, emphasize the importance of unity among the various Korean groups.
The Department would be interested to learn what action if any was taken by CEC in response to the appeal for Chinese recognition of the “Korean Provisional Government” reported in your telegram no. 969 and would appreciate information regarding any further indications such as the speech of the Information Minister that the Chinese Government is considering such recognition.15 In the circumstances of the Cairo Declaration it would seem that the Chinese would hardly be likely to act in the matter of Korean recognition without prior consultation with the parties to that instrument but you may consider it desirable to seek occasion informally to discuss the Korean situation with Chinese officialdom and in the course of your discussion to endeavor to ascertain what the intentions of the Chinese Government are.
It is also suggested that at your discretion you approach the Soviet Embassy informally and unofficially in an endeavor to ascertain the opinion of that Embassy in regard to recent developments in Korean circles in Chungking and the relations of those circles with the Chinese Government.
- Despatch 2727, June 29, from Chungking, reported that an Embassy officer had been advised by the Minister of Information in the Korean Provisional Government (Yen) that the Central Executive Committee had neither discussed the matter of Chinese recognition of the Provisional Government nor made any reply to its appeal (895.01/6–2944).↩