Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The Far East, Volume VI

740.0011 PW (Peace)/12–1147: Telegram

The Secretary of State ⁹⁸ to the Acting Secretary of State

secret
us urgent

London, December 11, 1947.

Martel 64. Butterworth from Bohlen. Deptel 5136, December 6.⁹⁹ The principal reason for considering the Chinese proposal favorably was that it might have provided the basis for a complete agreement, but now it appears that approval of the Chinese proposal by US, while it would line us up with China, it would, on the other hand, probably have the effect of developing disagreements almost certainly with Australia, accompanied by difficulties with the British and possibly one or two other of the eight countries who have accepted our proposals.

Accordingly, while it may be difficult, if not impossible, particularly in view of Chinese reply of December 6 to the Soviet note of November 27, to persuade the Chinese Government to shift its position and support the original US proposals in regard to the Japanese Peace Conference, I see no objection to instructing our Chief of Mission in Nanking to explore the matter with Chinese Government. (TelMar 40, December 5; TelMar 45, December 6; Embtel 6354, December 6.¹)

If Chinese Government insists upon its own proposal, we can then officially reply in the light of this information. If Chinese Government indicates willingness to reconsider its position, we can then reply accordingly. In any event, it seems to me that nothing will be lost by the oral conversations which I suggest.

If you agree, it might be prudent to advise our Chief of Mission in Nanking the line of persuasion which he is to take; namely,

(a) That the veto, which is implicit in the Chinese proposal, would, as a matter of fact, be ineffective for the reason that it could not, in practice, be invoked against the concurrence of two-thirds of any proposition;

(b) That it is most unlikely on any matter of substance the US would not be sympathetic with any Chinese proposition; and

(c) That if the Soviet refused to attend the conference, we could then consider what course would be the wisest to follow, and that should the Soviet take this position, it might well be to our mutual advantage were no peace conference to be called in the immediate future.

Sargent of Foreign Office informed me today that British Government has instructed the British Embassy at Nanking to inform the Chinese Government that British Government continues to favor the original American proposals on procedure for the Japanese peace conference.² [Bohlen.]

Marshall

98. The Secretary of State was attending the Fifth Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held at London November 25–Deeember 15, 1947.
99. Not printed; it reported the Chinese note of December 6, p. 587.
1. Telegram 6354 not printed.
2. British replies to the Chinese and Soviet communications were sent the night of December 12; copies were transmitted by the British Embassy to the Department on December 13, and texts were made public in London on December 14.