893.00/2–748: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:04 p. m.]
252. At his request I visited Foreign Minister at his home last night and found him obviously worried over military situation in Manchuria. A little more than a month ago, he said, General Roschin had begun approaching Chinese officials with an offer of Russian mediation, but his offer had been firmly rejected by the Generalissimo himself. Present intensification of Communist attacks on Mukden he regards as consequence of this rejection. He fears outlook that region is extremely critical and is anxious have General Barr36 fully informed as to its urgency, fearing that present training program will move too slowly to be effective.
Yesterday, he said, the Soviet Chargé, Fedorenko, had called upon him under instructions from Moscow, requesting protection for Soviet citizens in Manchuria and expressing hope that repetition of what Soviet nationals had suffered at Changchun in 1946 could be avoided. Wang had replied that they would be accorded the same treatment as nationals of other friendly powers provided Soviet Union did nothing unfriendly to China. In response to Fedorenko’s remonstration that Soviet Union had never given cause to China for misgivings, Wang had reminded him of behavior of Russian troops after entering Manchuria in August, 1945.
[Page 86]Wang Interprets this démarche as evidence that Soviet Government anticipates that National troops will soon be withdrawing from Mukden. He made two requests:
- 1.
- That I confer as soon as practicable with General Barr on whole question of military advice and aid to China, with special reference to urgency of Manchuria problem; and
- 2.
- That I consider advisability of making special trip to Washington to acquaint Secretary and others with gravity of present trend and changes which have taken place since Secretary was in China or even since the two of them had talked together in America.
I replied that I was only waiting for General Barr to get through his preliminary obligations to bring some of these issues to his attention and that while ready to do anything in my power to help China, in its mounting difficulties, I should expect to be summoned before taking the initiative in proposing a trip to Washington. I added my opinion that such help as I could render would be here in the foreseeable future and that I had been trying all along to keep the Secretary fully informed of developments in China and my views regarding them.
The Minister requested that I keep absolutely secret the visit to him of Fedorenko.
- Maj. Gen. David G. Barr, Chief, Army Advisory Group, China.↩