893.00/11–648: Telegram
The Ambassador in China ( Stuart ) to the Secretary of State 44
[Received November 6—9:15 a. m.]
2118. During conversation mentioned Embtel 2093, November 4, repeated Shanghai 1037,45 Premier46 referred to his talks with Gimo at Peiping latter part October. Premier said primary purpose seeing Gimo was to ask him what China’s fundamental world policy would be, with special reference to US. Premier referred to Paris talks between Foreign Minister Wang Shih-chieh and Secretary State47 and said he urged Gimo make “absolutely clear” to US Government that, in event war between US and USSR, China would fight on side US. “Otherwise,” Premier assertedly pointed out to Gimo, “our position will be doomed to complete failure.”
According Premier, Gimo accepted his recommendations and authorized him to telegraph instructions to Foreign Minister to continue talks with Secretary State, and possibly also with Dulles48 should that seem desirable.
When asked what US Government could do at this juncture in China, Premier expressed hope we could send “military assistance in very substantial way”. He expressed fervent hope US Government keep fleet at Tsingtao, saying that Communists would not attack Tsingtao and that USSR was “not ready to open fire on US forces now.” Premier said that announcement US intention to withdraw fleet from Tsingtao would inevitably be accepted as invitation to Communists to attack that port.49
- Repeated to the Ambassador in France on November 7 as telegram No. Telmar 138.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Wong Wen-hao, President of the Chinese Executive Yuan.↩
- The Secretary of State was in Paris on official mission.↩
- John Foster Dulles, U. S. delegate to the United Nations General Assembly.↩
- For correspondence, see vol. viii , “Status of U.S. Naval Forces at Tsingtao”.↩