893.20 Missions/4–2447

The Secretary of War (Patterson) to the Acting Secretary of State

Dear Mr. Secretary: There is enclosed a copy of the letter which I have this date sent to the Secretary of the Navy. I propose for your consideration that the best action we can take at the present time in connection with formalizing our missions to China is to set up the joint mission approved by the President.

Sincerely yours,

Robert P. Patterson
[Enclosure]

The Secretary of War (Patterson) to the Secretary of the Navy (Forrestal)

Dear Mr. Secretary: Reference your letter of 15 April 1947 concerning an Advisory Group to China, I suggest it would be most desirable from the standpoint of the services that we set up the Joint Military Advisory Group envisaged in SWNCC 83/1749 and approved [Page 962] by the President on 26 February 1946. I am informed that a draft governmental agreement has been produced after consultation with the Chinese and that it has been concurred in by the War Department, and, I understand, by the Navy Department.

At present the Army and Army Air Forces portions of the Joint Advisory Group are operating under the war powers of the President, as are our missions to Iraq, and I understand the Navy portion of the Chinese Advisory Group. These war powers appear for the time being to be adequate for the operation of such missions. The missions bill now before Congress, if enacted into law, will provide permanent peacetime authority for the operation of the joint group envisaged by SWNCC 83/17.

In light of the foregoing, I believe that we should now proceed with the establishment of the joint mission already approved by the President. If the State Department does not desire to implement at this time the decision of the President concerning the joint mission but wishes to await the action of the present Congress on the missions bill, I believe we should continue the status quo until the nature of Congressional action is determined.

Sincerely yours,

Robert P. Patterson