893.00/10–1047
The Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs ( Wang ) to the Secretary of State
Dear General Marshall: As I am leaving tomorrow, I must write to you to express my deep appreciation of your cordiality and frankness [Page 329] with which you discussed with me the various complicated issues of our common concern.
It is particularly gratifying to me that on the subject of the Japanese peace conference, you endorse my view as to the extreme difficulties China will be put to in the event of non-participation by Soviet Russia. Therefore I assume that if further action be taken on this matter by either of our two Governments, there will be full prior consultation with each other.
As to the question of Korea, I have made a public statement on the attitude of my Government as I explained to you the other day.
I am hastening to return largely on account of the home situation. I am particularly anxious about the future developments in Manchuria. When I went to Moscow with Dr. T. V. Soong in August 1945, upon the advice of President Truman,20 to negotiate for the Sino-Soviet Treaty, what I had in mind was to make all concessions in order to save Manchuria. I cooperated with you during the whole of last year with the same objective in view. If the present campaign of the Chinese Government should lead to the recovery of Manchuria, it would save China from a permanent threat of war, and might indeed save the world from another catastrophe. It is hoped that, in the midst of such a struggle, China and her friends will not permit her political, economic and military position to weaken lest this struggle might end in disaster.
As soon as I reach Nanking, I will carefully consult my Government on the questions which you discussed with me on the 14th.21 After that I will immediately ask Dr. Wellington Koo22 to take the matters up with the State Department. Your continued special attention will be much appreciated.23
In wishing you good health and success, I must regret that I have not called on Mrs. Marshall. Please convey my best wishes and kind regards to her.
Yours very sincerely,
P. S. May I remind you of another matter? When you go to London in November to discuss peace settlement with Germany, I [Page 330] hope you will not forget China’s stand—that all the five members of the Foreign Ministers’ Council must be sponsors of the plenary peace conference for Germany—a stand that the United States, France and the United Kingdom have all endorsed.
- See telegram dated July 28, 1945, to the Ambassador in China, Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. vii, p. 950.↩
- Subjects discussed were the Japanese peace conference and Korea.↩
- The Chinese Ambassador.↩
- In a memorandum on November 1 to the Under Secretary of State, the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs wrote: “I do not think this letter requires an acknowledgment, since I saw its author at The Secretary’s request after he had dispatched this note, though I did not discuss its contents.… the attention of EUR [Office of European Affairs] … should be called to the postscript.”↩