740.00119 FEAC/11–945
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Vincent) to the Under Secretary of State (Acheson)
Sir George Sansom and the Chinese Ambassador called yesterday evening and this morning respectively at my request. As you had [Page 842] directed, I reviewed for them the course and present state of our negotiations with the Russians in regard to the Allied Military Council and the Far East Commission. I spoke to them very frankly, which I believe they appreciate, and withheld from them no pertinent information. I read to them from our recent telegram to Moscow in which we set forth our basic ideas in regard to the functions and functioning of the Council and the Commission.17
Sir George had no special comment to make, but it was fairly evident that he was sympathetic to our point of view.
The Chinese Ambassador frankly stated that he concurred in our viewpoint. He made the remark that voting procedure in the Commission was unimportant, provided we were able to retain our right to send out interim directives to General MacArthur in the absence of policy decisions by the Commission. He made the interesting comment that, whereas non-military directives were subject to some control within the Far East Commission, military directives were subject to no control other than the “advice” that might be given by the Allied Military Council. He did not take exception to the situation but simply called attention to it.