893.00/11–1348
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
| Participants: | Dr. Tingfu F. Tsiang, Permanent Representative of China to United Nations |
| The Secretary | |
| Mr. Jacobs |
Dr. Tsiang called this morning and presented an Aide-Mémoire59 which he stated he had been instructed by his Government to hand to me. I showed Dr. Tsiang a telegram containing the text of a message which Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek had sent to President Truman, and the President’s reply. Dr. Tsiang read these documents while I read the Aide-Mémoire.
I then stated that the Aide-Mémoire dealt with various matters which I could not answer at once because the proposals, both military and economic, were of a nature which would need careful consideration.
I then referred to one of the points which had been discussed in Dr. Tsiang’s previous visit and said that while the United States did not look with favor on sending of a high ranking U. S. military officer to China, I had been thinking of sending General McClure out as he had been directly associated with Ho Yin Chin in directing the fighting and training of Chinese divisions during the war.
The conversation then turned to the military situation in China and as I found that I was doing most of the talking I asked Dr. Tsiang what he thought the United States might put in a statement which the U. S. might issue at this time. Dr. Tsiang replied that the most heartening thing that could be said would be an announcement by the President or me that the United States considers the combatting of Communism in China equally as important as combatting Communism in Europe.
There was some discussion of the implications of such a statement, particularly an implied obligation for greater financial and other assistance on the part of the United States than Congress would be persuaded to approve. I pointed out that we were already giving large sums to China and other Far Eastern countries and that when our assistance to all such countries, including Japan is added together, it adds up to a formidable amount.
Dr. Tsiang then said that strong pressure was being brought to bear in Nanking to have him bring before the UN the question of Soviet assistance to the Chinese Communists. He said that, as he had previously [Page 205] told me, he himself was against this move. I told Dr. Tsiang that I agreed that no good could come of such an approach and that much harm might result by bringing the Soviets directly and openly into the picture, but the decision must be for the Chinese.
On leaving we happened to mention the supplies now going to China and Dr. Tsiang said that he understood that his Government approved their shipment to Tsingtao. I said that was the present arrangement, that I had said nothing to alter it.
- Not found in Department files.↩