893.00/9–1647: Airgram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Hawkins) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 23—8:49 a.m.]
A–1933. 1. Reference Embassy’s air mail despatch No. 2016, September 4, 1947, on subject of conversation with General Chu Shih-ming on situation in China.
2. In course of informal conversation today, Dr. Tuan Mao-lan, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy, London, told Embassy officer, that General Chu Shih-ming had left London September 15th by air for New York. According to Tuan, Chu is going to New York for the ostensible purpose of serving as one of China’s delegates to the General Assembly meeting of the United Nations. However, his real mission, according to Tuan, is to assist Dr. Wang Shih-chieh, Chinese Foreign Minister, in talks which the latter hopes to have with the Secretary. The purpose of these talks, Tuan said, would be to seek American aid for China.
3. Tuan expressed the personal view that if Wang were successful in obtaining American aid for China, he would remain on as Foreign Minister. If, on the other hand, Wang failed in his quest, Tuan thought that Wang would resign his post as Foreign Minister. In the event that Wang remained on as Foreign Minister after his return to China, Tuan considered that General Chu Shih-ming would be brought into the Foreign Ministry as Vice Minister.
4. It was clear from the conversation that Tuan felt that Chinese hopes for American aid had been dashed by the Wedemeyer statement and that Nanking is now pinning its hopes on the efforts to be made by Wang Shih-chieh in the United States.