Moscow Embassy Files—710 Sino-Soviet Relations: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
1) I have been directed by the President to send you (Reference your 281015 June 28) the following message received from Ambassador Hurley today:70
“Since Soong’s return I have been in daily conference with the Generalissimo, Soong and Tang [Wang]. They have been kind enough to discuss frankly with me all matters pertaining to your White House message transmitting the Yalta Agreement.
[Page 910]“It is China’s desire that agreement with Soviets will eventually become multilateral under the supervision of the United Nations. I am convinced that Soviets and China will be able quickly to reach an agreement.
“‘Preeminent’ and ‘Lease’ are the two words in the Yalta decision that are still causing most trouble. China will endeavor to make terms agreeable to Soviets but under specific definitions rather than under general terms. China wishes to avoid the use of words that are in conflict with territorial integrity and independent sovereignty but is agreeable to meeting the terms.”
2) The following is the present status of negotiations between Chiang’s Government and the Communists as reported by Ambassador Hurley on May 20:
“We have succeeded in having the National Government recognize the Chinese Communist armed party as a political party by appointing a Chinese Communist as a delegate to represent the National Government at San Francisco. By accepting the appointment the Communists recognize the National Government. We have visited with the Communist leaders in their own territory. We have brought about conferences between the Communist and National leaders in which they seem to have eliminated some of their conflicts. In the controversy between the Government and the Communist Party we had two major objectives (a) to avoid what appeared to be an immediately impending civil war and, (b) to unite the Communist and National Government armies to fight Japan under one commander.
“The possibility of a satisfactory solution is indicated by Russia’s approval for unification of the armed forces of China and the fact that Chiang Kai Shek is now working for unification. However, the Communist Armed Party still contends, and in my opinion with some degree of reasonableness, that they will not submit their troops to the command of the Chinese National Government unless an American or other Allied officer is placed in command under the National Government of all the Chinese armed forces.”