893.00/6–748: Telegram

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

854. For Emb background info only, following is abridgment of Dept’s views (Embtel 1017 June 7, noon29) on defense of Tsingtao as set forth in letter of May 28 to SecDef:

[Here follows abridgement of letter printed supra.]

Also for background info of Emb there follows paraphrase of despatch 042245 of June 4 from CNO to ComNavWesPac:

In view recent developments incident to consideration by State, SecDef and JCS of over-all problem of presence of American forces in China, CNO desires that you do not engage in any advanced combined planning or make any advanced commitments to Chinese to [Page 318] carry out course a in an emergency without previous authorization of CNO. If any plans or commitments have already been made with Chinese, please advise their nature and extent. This does not restrict emergency action when there is no available time to communicate. End of paraphrase.

Marshall
  1. Not printed.