761.93/7–845: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to President Truman and the Secretary of State
081310. Soong gave me this morning a detailed account of his talk with Stalin last night. Soong proposed the acceptance by China of the Yalta formula on Outer Mongolia preserving the status quo both judicial and factual and in addition if desired, China would grant Outer Mongolia a higher degree of autonomy including the right to have independent armed forces; thus Outer Mongolia would be free to make any military arrangements desired with the Soviet Union. Stalin stated that this was not enough, that if there was to be a pact of friendship between the Soviet Union and China all questions would have to be settled in advance. Stalin argued that the Yalta formula meant the formal recognition by China of Outer Mongolia as an independent republic. He handed Soong a draft agreement to be signed by the Soviet Union and China giving formal recognition to the independence of the Outer Mongolian Republic. Soong stated that the Generalissimo could not agree to the cession of territory by Executive Act and repeated that if the Generalissimo attempted to do such a thing his Government would fall. Stalin refused to accept that position and an argument followed. Stalin also gave to Soong three other draft agreements:
- 1.
- A Treaty of Friendship and Alliance.
- 2.
- Arrangements over the Ports and
- 3.
- The operation of the railroads.
In the last two the Soviet demands appear to be stepped up. I will cover these in a separate cable.78
The conversation ended with the appearance of an impasse over Outer Mongolia. Soong attempted to hand the four drafts back to Molotov but the latter suggested that Soong had better keep them.
After the meeting Soong telegraphed the Generalissimo. Consequently early this morning he received a mesage from the Generalissimo which crossed his own telegram [and] outlining a new proposal regarding Outer Mongolia along the following lines. Providing Russia [Page 921] would fully recognize China’s sovereignty in Manchuria and providing the Soviet Union agreed in definite terms to withdrawal all moral and material aid from the Communists in China and the rebellious groups in Sinkiang, the Generalissimo would agree to preserve the status quo in Outer Mongolia until after the war and then that a plebiscite be held in Outer Mongolia. If this indicated as he presumed it would popular desire for independence, the Generalissimo would proceed in a constitutional manner to recommend to the Chinese National Assembly the secession of Outer Mongolia and recognition of it as an Independent Republic. The Generalissimo also outlined his conception of how Chinese sovereignty should be preserved in connection with the arrangements regarding the ports and the railroads in Manchuria. I will report this in a separate cable pointing out the differences between the Russian and Chinese proposals.
Soong will attempt to see Stalin tomorrow Monday and if no agreement can be reached in regard to Outer Mongolia he plans to leave Moscow on Tuesday July 10. Unless agreement is reached he does not wish to be in Moscow on July 11 which is the independence day of Outer Mongolian Republic and presumably because of the presence of the Mongolian Premier will be celebrated here.
Soong asked me to request your comment and advice. I expressed the personal opinion that I did not believe you would wish to make any comment during the course of these bilateral discussions. Soong feels that in connection with Outer Mongolia Stalin is going beyond the Yalta formula and asking the Generalissimo to do the impossible. He feels that in his new proposals the Generalissimo is going as far as he can to meet Stalin’s demands.
- Infra.↩