740.00119 PW/8–2445: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:40 p.m.]
8665. I was asked by Mr. Bevin to transmit the following message to you: (reference Department’s 7199, August 23).
“Please thank Mr. Byrnes for the message embodied in your letter of August 24.
To meet our position I should like to suggest certain amendments in his proposed statement. For convenience I have embodied them in the attached revised version. If that revised version were adopted the statement would be quite agreeable to His Majesty’s Government.”
Statement follows: First paragraph same as Department’s. Second paragraph reads: “It has been laid down in General Order Number 1 to be issued by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters by direction of General MacArthur as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers that the Japanese forces within China (excluding Manchuria) shall surrender to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek or his representatives”.
Third paragraph reads the same as Department’s statement until last sentence which in British version reads as follows: “In view of the surrender procedure laid down in General Order Number 1 we do not believe that the issue now being raised by the Chinese Communist forces in regard to the surrender procedure of Japanese forces is conducive to the attainment of these objectives.”
You will recognize that the phrase “within China” is to protect British interests in Hong Kong. This does not mean that British are unwilling to discuss the long term future of Hong Kong, although as Bevin said “when your house is swiped and you have contributed to its retaking you have an obligation to your own to reoccupy.” In this connection see Embassy’s 8571, August 23.57
- Not printed.↩