740.0011 PW (Peace)/7–1747: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
1544. Yesterday afternoon I called upon the Foreign Minister.2 in response to his request. He stated that he wished to discuss the preliminary conference for drafting the Japanese peace treaty; that his information was that this would be held in Washington or San Francisco on August 19 on a confidential basis; that there would be no veto by a single member but that all decisions would be by a two-third’s majority vote and that the draft would be submitted later to a formal conference in which all nations which had declared war against Japan would be represented (Department’s telegram 861, July 113).
He stated that China would not wish to see her special share in the war against Japan completely ignored; that the draft of the German peace treaty was limited to four countries; that this analogy need not be stressed too far; but that he had prepared the following proposed voting formula to apply both to the preliminary and the formal conference:
“All decisions shall be made by a two-third’s majority of the members of the conference present and voting, including a majority of the members of the Allied Council for Japan present and voting.”
He thought it possible that the USSR would not take part if the single veto were not permitted, in which case the United States, Great Britain and China could doubtless reach conclusions without serious disagreement. He stated that his views had already been communicated to the Chinese Ambassador in Washington.4