740.00119 PW/9–2045: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Hurley) to the Secretary of State

1629. The following aide-mémoire was handed to me today by the Generalissimo with the request that I transmit it to the President:

Aide-Mémoire

Recent reports appearing in the press indicate that the United States Government is establishing a Political Advisory Board for General MacArthur to assist in determining United States policy in the Far East. Mr. George Atcheson,60 Mr. John Service,61 among others, were included in the Advisory Group. Press dispatches state that this Advisory Group would come to Chungking.

I feel very reluctant in presenting the following information for the consideration of your Government because I understand fully that the United States Government has every right to assign State Department officials to appropriate duties and pacts [places?] and without comment from any Allied Government. The following statements I will request your Government to accept in the friendly and cooperative spirit which have actuated my every thought and action in dealing with the United States Government.

Mr. Atcheson and Mr. Service are generally accepted in China as men of strong convictions that a coalition between the Communist and [Page 566] Kuomintang Parties should be arbitrarily imposed. They both have expressed views that are definitely unfriendly to the Central Government of China and clearly reveal their support of the policies of the Communist Party.

As your Government knows, very important conferences are now being held in Chungking with Mr. Mao Tse-tung and other Communist leaders. We are striving sincerely to reach an equitable and reasonable arrangement and to ameliorate conflicting views. These conferences have been in progress the past 3 weeks. Recently there has occurred a notable change in the attitude of the Communist leaders and they are reliably reported to now represent the view that prominent Americans will soon come to China with the mission of firmly supporting the Communist Party. The Communists are now placing great stress upon this fact. They know that Mr. Atcheson and Mr. Service are sympathetic and they interpret the above referred to appointments as indicative of the change in the United States policy towards China.

There have been so many manifestations on the part of the President and the Government of the United States of their kindly and realistic approach in assisting China in the stupendous problem of rehabilitation and the program for the realization of unity and democracy, I feel certain that they would not knowingly approve the appointment of officials or the promulgation of policies that might militate against the hoped for success of the present Central Government-Communist Parties.

I wish to avail myself of this opportunity to assure you again of my heartfelt gratitude for the unstinted and friendly assistance which your President and your countrymen have given China the past several years. Chiang Kai-shek.”

Hurley
  1. U. S. Acting Political Adviser to the Supreme Commander for Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan.
  2. Of the Office of the U. S. Acting Political Adviser to SCAP.