740.00119 Potsdam/8–745: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
071920. White House No. 316 received. Soong arrived this afternoon. He tells me Chiang Kai-shek has approved the proposals he, Soong, made to Stalin on his last visit along the lines I have reported. Chiang has agreed however that if Stalin insists the Soviet military zone may extend north on the Kwantung Peninsula to the line of the old Russian lease except that the Port of Dairen and the connecting railway must be excluded from the military zone. Chiang feels that Stalin’s request for the establishment of Soviet defenses in this area is reasonable since the Soviets are to have the use of Port Arthur as a naval base. General Deane11 and I see no objection from our standpoint in China’s making this concession providing the agreement is clear that the free port area of Dairen and the connecting railway are not included in the Soviet military zone and the Port is under Chinese administration. Therefore unless instructed to the contrary I will not interpose objection to this concession. Upon completion of his negotiations here Soong plans to come to Washington in accordance with the agreement he made with President Truman when he was last in Washington. He is very anxious to do this but has requested me to [Page 958] ascertain whether it is still agreeable.12 After a short stay in Washington he plans to return to China via London and Paris. He hopes that he may continue to have the use for this trip of the aeroplane which is now at his disposal.