740.0011 Pacific War/6–3044: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
895. During a courtesy call on me on June 24, when he was accompanied by the Chinese Ambassador, Dr. H. H. Kung referred to the dangerous possibilities in the current Japanese military drives in China which he felt could eventuate in the opening of a route to Singapore. He said that Chinese of course hoped for different and better results.
Dr. Kung thanked me in particular for the things we have done to aid China and expressed appreciation for my efforts at Moscow on China’s behalf and also in regard to conversations to be undertaken by the four great powers. I referred to efforts by the President and myself to work out in a reasonable and fair manner certain differences between other friendly countries, as in the instance of the Russian-Polish dispute, and I stressed the point that personal, private conversations were much more effective to this end than formal committee meetings. I indicated that such informal methods would be useful, for example, in settling differences between China and Russia.
After giving Dr. Kung a full account of the present status of projected conversations between the four large nations on post-war security, I mentioned the favorable impression that the cooperative attitude of Marshal Stalin and his Government had made. Dr. Kung was informed of our hope for settlement of the small differences between China and Russia as well as for a diminution of apparent coolness occasionally evidenced. It was important, I said, not to permit troublemakers to spread wild stories, such as the recent report of a special Russo-Japanese understanding. I stressed importance of close and constant contact between the Chinese and Soviet Governments through suitable representatives so as to kill fraudulent reports at [Page 112] their inception and pointed out the great danger of permitting enemy propagandists and other sinister influences to spread such stories. I was careful to point out that my remarks did not refer to specific instances involving the two Governments in question but were general in character, and that my comments were prompted by our great desire to see China and these other countries return to agreeable official and personal relations.