740.00119 P.W./8–1345: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State 21
[Received 10:10 a.m.]
M–25284. Upon receipt of White House message No. 328, August 12th [11], and since Soong and Molotov were to have further discussions yesterday, I addressed the following letter to Molotov dated August 12, sending a copy of it to Soong (In order to expedite this message and avoid necessity of paraphrasing, I am sending it by the Army channel.)
“Dr. Soong has informed me in general of the progress of his negotiations with Generalissimus Stalin and I have thus had an opportunity to inform my Government.
Without commenting at this time on the points remaining at issue, of which we are not fully informed in detail, I have been instructed to express to you my Government’s particular interest in the arrangements regarding Dairen. We understand that there has been a suggestion on the Soviet side for a joint ownership of the port facilities. My Government had directed me to bring to your attention the fact that it would consider such an arrangement as adversely affecting American interests in policies towards China and for this reason could not support it. As I have previously informed you, my Government would favor a lease of a certain section of the port required for Soviet traffic.
My Government earnestly hopes that its views on this matter will be taken fully into account by the Soviet and Chinese Governments.
I have brought the above to the attention of Dr. Soong.”
My reference in the last sentence is to a letter which I addressed to Molotov on August 9th as follows:
“I feel that it will be mutually beneficial if I reiterate in writing some of the salient points which I sought to convey to Generalissimus Stalin in my conversation yesterday evening.
In that conversation I transmitted President Truman’s assurances that he intended to continue support of the proposals agreed upon at Yalta. He believes, however, that the Chinese proposals as submitted by Dr. Soong meet the Yalta understanding.
As you know from conversations with the late President Roosevelt, American policy towards China, including Manchuria, stems from [Page 971] a strong historical and popular attachment to the principles of Chinese territorial integrity and the open door. Because of this, President Truman hopes that the Soviet and Chinese Governments keep in mind during the course of their current negotiations these long-standing interests of the American people and Government. I recall in this connection that the Soviet Government has shared my Government’s concern for the healthy development of China when on May 31, 1924, it concluded a treaty with the Chinese Government renouncing Czarist extra-territorial and other special privileges in China.
With regard to the proposed agreement between the Soviet and Chinese Governments respecting Port Arthur, my Government recognizes the mutual benefit which will accrue to the Soviet Union and China from the use of the base by Soviet forces for the purposes of mutual security and defense.
My Government believes that Dairen and the connecting land communications should not be included in the Soviet Military Zone. You will recall that the late President Roosevelt did not concur in the original Soviet suggestion that Dairen should be leased to the Soviet Union and maintained that if should be internationalized as a free port. He also recognized the present need of the Soviet Union for access to a warm water port for its commercial transit traffic and for that reason recognized that this preeminent interest of the Soviet Union should be safeguarded. Under these circumstances my Government favors the Chinese proposal that a certain section of the port be leased on a commercial basis to the Soviet Union to assure Soviet interests. On the other hand [my] Government, in view of our historic policy towards China, feels that the general management of the port should rest under Chinese control.
President Truman earnestly hopes that Generalissimus Stalin will not press for further concessions and in any event, because of his part in the initiation of the present discussions, he feels that he should be consulted with regard to any developments in the negotiations which might affect American interests or principles regarding China.”
- A copy of this message was delivered to the White House.↩