Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Far East: China, Volume VIII

Executive Secretariat Files: NSC 34

Memorandum by the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Kennan) to the Secretary of State

[Washington,] November 30, 1948.

For many months now there has existed a sharp divergence of views between this Department and the National Military Establishment regarding the formulation of a statement on U. S. policy toward China.

S/P first brought this situation to your attention on July 27 (Tab A).⁹⁷ On September 7, 1948, the Department transmitted to the NSC a statement of U. S. Policy toward China, PPS–39, which had been worked out with the greatest care and detail by S/P in collaboration with FE and the Department’s research office. This paper was circulated to the NSC members as NSC–34⁹⁸ (Tab B).

Although no specific criticism of NSC–34 has been received from the Military Establishment, the NSC Staff, at the instance of the Military Establishment, was directed to prepare a supplementary statement for the members. It is evident as a result of drafting attempts at the Staff level and discussion yesterday among the consultants that the Military Establishment seeks to define our policy toward China in greater detail than we feel is feasible or sound.

The basic difference in approach between the Military Establishment and us, it seems to me, is that they want not only a strategic but also a tactical directive while we feel that at this Stage the NSC should concern itself only with an overall strategic statement of policy, leaving tactical planning and implementation to the operational elements in the Government—particularly our Office of Far Eastern Affairs.

It is basic in our thinking, and has never been challenged by the Military Establishment, that we cannot foresee in detail the shape of things to come in China. If we do not know now what the tactical moves of our adversary will be in the future nor precisely who will be our allies, it seems to us not only idle but self-deceptive to hamstring our future operational freedom with tactical directives laid down at this time.

If you concur in the foregoing, it is recommended that you attempt at the next NSC member meeting to:

(1) clarify the thinking of your colleagues on this matter and

(2) ask them to accept the statement of U.S. policy as set forth in NSC–34 and later rephrased in a greatly condensed form in our memorandum of November 26 to you, PFS–45 (Tab C).⁹⁹

George F. Kennan

97. Memorandum by the Deputy Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Butler), p. 122.
98. Ante, p. 146.
99. Ante, p. 214.