Office of the Historian

893.6359/1–248: Telegram

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

Nanking, January 2, 1948—11 a.m.
[Received January 2—4:18 a.m.]

1. Dr. Wong Wen-hao2 asked December 30 whether Embassy had received word regarding Keiser3 and proposed agreement (reEmbtel 2265, November 20, 1 p.m. and Deptel 1421, November 22, 6 [5] p.m.4)

He said he had discussed agreement with Generalissimo5 who had expressed approval [in principle]; Wong added he had also discussed agreement with premier.6 From these two conversations Wong apparently has decided that Executive Yuan will have to approve agreement and not only Generalissimo as previously stated.

Wong expressed hope that agreement would be approved by AEC and that Keiser would soon return to China. He said he was leaving Nanking about January 3 for trip to Hankow and Canton and would be gone about 20 days, adding that nothing presumably could be done about securing approval of agreement during his absence.

Indicating that Chinese may possibly have adopted devious means to prod US into action in fact Swiss Minister December 30 called on Minister-Counselor7 giving info regarding matters discussed Embtels 2006, October [1], and 2042, October 8.8 He stated Chinese Minister at Bern had approached Swiss Government with suggestion it might send geologists to China to make surveys; that such action had been discussed by Swiss Minister here with Wong who had indicated willingness have Swiss geologists come; but that few days ago Swiss [Page 741] Minister informed by Wong that deal being made with US Government and that American geologist had recently been here to conduct negotiations, adding that American geologist in question had merely visited China for few weeks while on trip to various countries in Far East.

Stuart
  1. Chairman of the Chinese National Resources Commission.↩
  2. Hubert D. Keiser, representative of the Atomic Energy Commission, who had negotiated preliminary agreement in late 1947.↩
  3. Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. vii, pp. 1025 and 1028, respectively.↩
  4. Chiang Kai-shek, President of the National Government of the Republic of China.↩
  5. Chang Chun.↩
  6. Lewis Clark.↩
  7. Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. vii, pp. 1021 and 1024, respectively.↩