Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Far East, China, Volume VII

The Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Soong) to Mr. Harry L. Hopkins ¹

Chungking, March 10, 1945

1. The Generalissimo has asked me to go to Washington now to discuss certain most important and secret matters with the President, matters on which the speedy prosecution of the war and improved international relations depend. The Generalissimo would like to have me make a quick round trip, before I return again to head the Chinese delegation to San Francisco Conference.

2. I feel that thus obtaining the President’s advice now is most vital to China. I would come as Acting Prime Minister not as Foreign Minister. I would be grateful if you would yourself make use of the following considerations in submitting my request to the President.

3. The President has already seen the Prime Ministers and the Foreign Ministers of the Big Three at Yalta. Since China was not present, I know it will help our war effort here and the future relations of the four sponsors of the San Francisco conference if I come now. There are especially some secret matters that should probably better not be raised at the San Francisco conference that it would help very much to discuss in advance. I believe preliminary discussion would ensure the elimination of friction later.

4. China’s situation is one of desperate crisis directly affecting our military plans. We feel that never has it been so important that we obtain the President’s advice now about our joint strategy, and this includes our relations with Soviet Russia, the Communists, and plans we have for dealing as best we can with our desperate economic problems. I would not come to ask for a loan or for embarrassing decisions but to consult the President and his top advisers with, we believe, the future of China and Asia at stake.

[Soong]

1. Copy of telegram; original given on March 13 to Charles E. Bohlen, political and liaison officer of the U. S. delegation to the United Nations Conference at San Francisco. Transmitted to Harry L. Hopkins by Madame Soong in her letter of March 12 in which she stated: “Ambassador Hurley was given by T. V. the substance of the request and he put the matter to the President. The Ambassador tells me the President was advised by the State Department that if one Foreign Minister were received before San Francisco, all others would also apply, and that for this reason while the President would gladly see T. V. as a friend just prior to the April meeting, it would be difficult to arrange a special audience immediately. T. V. urges every day that the matter Generalissimo instructed him to discuss with the President is so very urgent that he fears to postpone it for five weeks.… Generalissimo strongly feels this matter should be frankly clarified in personal conversations before the San Francisco meeting.” Madame Soong was informed through her secretary “that HLH can do nothing more about this from [Mayo Clinic,] Rochester; he is taking on no business matters yet and, as Mme. Soong says above, the President already knows about it” (March 13). Copies obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N. Y.