Office of the Historian

893.34/12–747: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, December 7, 1947—4 p.m.
[Received December 7—9:33 a.m.]

2346. Chinese concur in modifications press release (Deptel 1479, December 5) re signing agreement transfer naval vessels. Texts of agreement and exchange of notes will not be released.

We anticipate that omission of texts will cause widespread speculation as to nature of agreement and possible secret terms particularly inasmuch as press releases in connection with signing Fulbright and post-UNRRA agreements included texts.78

We assume that agreement will be registered with UN78a and would judge from last sentence Deptel 1387, November 14 that action by Bofors unlikely. In view foregoing we of opinion that speculation which will inevitably result from failure to release text may do more harm than would publication of clause re Bofors claim and urge Department explore matter further with Navy with view to releasing text.

Stuart
  1. For correspondence on these subjects, see pp. 1263 ff. and pp. 1293 ff., respectively.↩
  2. United Nations.↩