740.0011 P.W./8–1045: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Hurley) to the Secretary of State
Chungking, August 10,
1945—5 p.m.
[Received August 11—2 a.m.]
[Received August 11—2 a.m.]
1324. For the President from the Generalissimo. I have just received the following message (re Embassy’s telegram No. 1302, August 7, 8 p.m.).
- 1.
- President Harry S. Truman:
- I wish to acknowledge the receipt of your message sent to me through Ambassador Hurley.88 The arrangement presented by the [Page 150] Combined Chiefs of Staff in their report to you and the Prime Minister to include within Southeast Asia Command that portion of Indo-China lying south of latitude 16 degrees north has been very carefully considered. It is noted that Thailand an area which has always been an integral part of the China Theater is not included in the proposed reapportionment of operational areas.
- 2.
- It is agreed that China Theater is primarily interested in operations pointing toward the center of Japanese resistance within the Archipelago and on the Asiatic continent and therefore areas to the south, for example, Thailand and Indo-China are essential to China Theater in that appropriate measures must be taken there to provide protection for the right or southern flank of projected Chinese operations.
- 3.
- The proposed arrangement of the Combined Chiefs of Staff is agreed to
with following stipulations:
- 4a.
- That part of French Indo-China south of 16 degrees latitude north would be henceforth considered in the Southeast Asia Command.
- 5b.
- That the 16 degrees parallel also be considered the southern boundary of the China Theater within Thailand and the area to the south of that line be considered within SEAC and the area to the north within China Theater.
- 6c.
- That any operations air, ground, sea or amphibious conducted in the China Theater including French Indo-China and Thailand north of 16 degrees latitude north undertaken by French, British, Americans or any other Allied forces would be definitely under the operational control of the Supreme Allied Commander of China Theater.
- 7d.
- That no military, quasi-military or clandestine operations be undertaken by the British, French or any other Allied forces in the China Theater including the area north of 16 degrees north latitude in French Indo-China and Thailand without the full knowledge and approval of the Supreme Allied Commander, China Theater. Chiang Kai-shek.
Hurley