Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

Truman Papers: Telegram

No. 149
The President to the Ambassador in China ( Hurley )

top secret

[ Washington ,] 4 June 1945.

282. I have studied carefully your messages May 201118¹ and 282000,² and your letter dated 13 May¹ delivered by Mr. Paul Patterson.

I fully appreciate the frank statement of the military situation in China at the present time as it appears from your point of view and your equally frank estimate of the world wide political intentions of those European Nations that are allied with us in this war.

You may be assured that these matters are receiving full consideration in America’s planning for the future.

I have not yet received any official information that Great Britain wishes to obtain command of the Chinese Armies, and there does not at the present time appear to be any promise of improvement by changing the existing command set up in the China theatre.

Many of the questions³ presented in your above noted communications may be discussed in a forthcoming tripartite conference.

. . . . . . .

1. Not printed.
2. See document No. 603.
1. Not printed.
3. In the telegrams referred to Hurley had discussed British and French colonialism in Asia, the possible return of Hong Kong to China, a possible trusteeship for Indochina, problems of command in China and Indochina, and support for democratic government in China.