740.00116 PW/1–645: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Hurley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:33 p.m.]
17. As Department is aware, I am having almost daily conferences with Generalissimo,69 Soong,70 Wedemeyer71 and others on matters of immediate importance. These conferences have made it impracticable of late for me to attend meetings of the War Crimes Commission Sub-Commission72 or committees and this situation will probably continue for some time. Atcheson73 who previous to my assumption of office as Ambassador was Government’s representative on Sub-Commission has been attending Sub-Commission and committee meetings on my behalf. While Sub-Commission is still in organization and beginning stage and has not yet come to the most serious problems which will confront it, I believe that it would be advisable for Atcheson to be designated alternate representative in order that he may have regular status in my absence from meetings, vote in my behalf and generally be in position to represent me with authority.74
- Chiang Kai-shek, President of the National Government of the Republic of China.↩
- T. V. Soong, Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
- Lt. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer, Commanding General, U.S. Forces in China Theater, and concurrently Chief of Staff to Generalissimo Chiang.↩
- See despatch 3213, December 9, 1944, from Chungking, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. i, p. 1399.↩
- George Atcheson, Jr., Counselor of Embassy in China.↩
- By telegram 61, January 11, 7 p.m., to Chungking, the Department designated Mr. Atcheson as alternate representative on the War Crimes Sub-Commission (740.00116 P.W./1–645).↩