761.93/7–645: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)73c
[Washington,] 6 July, 1945—3:11 p.m.
310. Reference your No. 031500 [031200], July 3, 1945.73d
- (1)
- The considerations against our becoming involved in acting as interpreter of the terms of the Yalta Agreement in connection with the bilateral Soviet-Chinese talks, as communicated to you in reply to your previous telegram, are of course equally applicable in general to the contents of your telegram under reference.
- (2)
- The President and I desire, however, that you inform both the Soviet Government and T. V. Soong that as a party to the Yalta Agreement we would expect to be consulted before any arrangement is concluded between the Soviet and Chinese Governments based on the Yalta Agreement.
- (3)
- For your own information we propose at an appropriate time to make clear to the Soviet and Chinese Governments that while the United States has no desire to participate in the administration or control of the port of Dairen, this Government will expect assurances that in any arrangements made between the Governments of the Soviet Union and China the principle of nondiscrimination in international commercial intercourse will be respected in relation to Dairen, as well as any other areas which may be the subject of special arrangements between the Soviet Union and China. Application of this principle would cover, inter alia, the right of equal access by nationals of all peace-loving nations to the port facilities of Dairen and participation by them in transportation privileges on the railways and would preclude practical denial of equality of economic opportunity, [Page 917] as was the case during the period of Japanese control by various devices.
- (4)
- We are pleased to note that Soong was reassured by Stalin’s statements in regard to the sovereignty of China and Manchuria and also that Stalin agreed that Russia should not have the right to station troops in Manchuria.
- (5)
- With regard to the statement that Stalin proposed that the ownership of the principal railroads in Manchuria should be Russian, our understanding of the Yalta Agreement was that it should be jointly operated by the Soviet Union and China and that there was no provision providing for exclusive Soviet ownership.
Byrnes