893.00/5–2946: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Smyth) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:15 p.m.]
880. Agreement has been completed but difficulty has been encountered in vexatious problem of procuring accurate translation into Turki, especially since rebel delegates remain very suspicious and insist on word-by-word examination of text. (Embtel 879, May 29, 8 a.m. This message is substance of Ward’s 76 through 79 from Tihwa dated 22 May.)
When translation has been completed, rebels will return Ining to procure formal acceptance of agreement by rebel regime. Central Govt acceptance is expected to be given at meeting of Executive Yuan, Nanking, 28 May.
Agreement does not provide specifically for withdrawal of rebel army from Manass River; Chinese believed that this withdrawal could best be effected incidentally, as a result of making rebel commander face [vice?] chief of Peace Preservation Corps under Chang Chih-chung, whereafter the Manass River troops not being provided for under the agreement, Chang, as Commandant of Peace Preservation Corps, could order his vice-chief to effect their removal.
When this particular formula was first explained to me, I thought it very good, but now feel some anxiety, in light of very sharp and minute attention which Turkis are giving to translation of agreement, whether any arrangement which is not explicit, however clearly it may be implied, can be got to work smoothly. Nevertheless, it would be very unfortunate were agreement to be rejected by Central Govt.
Sent Dept 880, May 29, 9 a.m., Dept please repeat to Moscow.