740.0011 Pacific War/3939
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Edwin F. Stanton, Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Grew)
| Participants: | Mr. Walter Lippmann,71 |
| Mr. Joseph W. Ballantine, | |
| Mr. Edwin F. Stanton. |
By arrangement with CI,72 Mr. Walter Lippmann called on Mr. Ballantine on June 2. He expressed keen interest in the Kuomintang–Communist situation and asked if we could briefly summarize present [Page 446] relations between these two factions. Factual information covering the history of the Kuomintang Party on the one hand and the so-called Chinese Communist Party on the other was given to Mr. Lippmann, together with information concerning more recent developments culminating with the dispatch of Mr. Lin Tsu-han, representative of the Communist government, to Chungking for conversations with leaders of the Kuomintang. It was pointed out that this was a hopeful development but that it was too early to say whether any definite agreement would be reached between the two factions.
Mr. Lippmann said his interest in the Kuomintang–Communist situation stemmed from several recent conversations he had had with Soviet newspapermen in Washington. He said he had gathered from these conversations that Soviet Russia was definitely prepared to participate in military operations against Japan after the liquidation of Hitler and the Nazis; that they envisaged Soviet participation as land operations designed to destroy the Japanese armies in China, Manchuria and Korea; and that they had supreme confidence in the ability of Soviet armies to defeat the Japanese Imperial Army. These Soviet press representatives in discussing Russian participation in Far Eastern hostilities have indicated to Mr. Lippmann the concern felt by the Soviet Government over continued friction between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. They pointed out that the areas now occupied by the Chinese Communists in north China would be of great strategic significance in connection with Soviet military operations against the Japanese; and that it would be natural for the Soviet forces not only to make use of these areas but also of the Chinese Communist forces in those areas. However, they expressed to Mr. Lippmann the Soviet fear that any use made of or assistance rendered to the Chinese Communist forces would probably result in serious complications with the Kuomintang-controlled Central Government at Chungking and might also be misunderstood by many people in the United States who still fear that the Soviet Union may seek to bolshevize all of China. They added, according to Mr. Lippmann, that Soviet Russia does not want any difficulties or complications with the United States over China. Mr. Lippmann appeared to think that Soviet Russia’s participation in hostilities against Japan when the German forces have been defeated and she is in a position to do so, might be delayed by reason of the Kuomintang–Communist situation and Russian fears of becoming involved with the United States and with China over this matter.
Mr. Lippmann said he would no doubt have further conversations with Soviet press representatives in Washington and would be glad to pass on to us any additional information of interest.