Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The British Commonwealth, The Far East, Volume VI

895.01/4–945: Telegram

The Chargé in China (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State

Chungking, April 9, 1945—11 a.m.
[Received April 11—2 p.m.]

596. French Ambassador²¹ has handed me a copy of a statement, which he said he had sent to the Foreign Office to the effect that he had made known to Tjo So-wang on February 26 his Government’s instructions to his Embassy unofficially to maintain de facto relations with the Korean “Provisional Government” and that he had further informed Tjo of France’s sympathetic interest in efforts to liberate Korea and of his Government’s determination that Korea should promptly regain its independence.

[In] further explanation, General Pechkoff said that it is his Embassy and not the French Government, which would have de facto relations with the Korean Provisional Government and he indicated that he personally did not think that this Korean group should be given recognition for the reasons stated in our 560, April 2, 2 p.m., second sentence of the second paragraph.²²

Atcheson

21. Gen. Zinovi Pechkoff.
22. Telegram not printed; this sentenc’e stated: “Neither the group here nor any group outside of Korea were really representative of the Korean people as none of them had been in Korea for a great many years.” (895.01/4–245)