893.00/2–1549
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
- Participants: Dr. V. K. Wellington Koo, Chinese Ambassador
- The Secretary of State—Mr. Acheson
- Mr. W. W. Butterworth, Director for Far Eastern Affairs
The Chinese Ambassador called at his request and after the usual courtesies indicated that he had come to see me about three matters.
He gave a brief résumé of the situation in China with particular reference to the attempts of the Acting President to find a basis of negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party. He indicated that his Government wished to obtain the reaction of this Government and other friendly governments to the situation with which China was faced. He referred to the Chinese Government’s previously expressed desires to have issued by the U.S. a sympathetic statement of support and the despatch to China of a high military personage with staff. We discussed the situation at some length, I emphasizing the friendly interest and concern and benevolent policy which the U.S. had consistently pursued for over a century and he with no little persistence seeking to obtain some statement of commitment by me on behalf of this Government.
[Here follows the next paragraph on ECA aid to China; for text, see volume IX, page 624. The last paragraph, on United States policy in Japan, is not printed.]