893.34/259
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius)57
Dr. Sao-Ke Alfred Sze, Acting Chairman of China Defense Supplies, Inc., called upon me today at his request, to inform me that he had had a conference this morning with the Secretary of the Navy relative to the matter of the United States Navy turning over to the Chinese Government, under Lend-Lease, four destroyers of approximately fifteen hundred tons each, and four mine layers of about one thousand tons each.
The plan is for the ships to fly the Chinese flag, to have Chinese crews, and to represent the foundation of the Chinese Navy.
Dr. Sze stated that Mr. Forrestal had promised to review the matter promptly.
- Submitted by the Under Secretary of State to the Secretary of State on May 17↩