893.20/10–2349
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth) to the Secretary of State
Subject: President Li Tsung-jen’s Request for an Invitation to the United States to Discuss Aid
Discussion:
Attached is Chungking’s telegram no. 1219 of October 2327 in which the Chargé d’Affaires reports a request from President Li that he be invited to the U.S. to make a personal appeal to the President, you and other high U.S. officials for aid. The telegram indicates that if such an invitation is not forthcoming President Li intends to visit the U.S. for a medical examination and use the trip as an opportunity to make his appeal for aid. President Li asks for the earliest possible reply.
It is possible that this request from President Li represents an effort on his part to force the issue on the use of the $75 million recently authorized by the Congress and that he would interpret U.S. encouragement for his visit as an indication that the $75 million would be used for military aid to his and General Pai Chung-hsi’s forces. Conversely, failure to encourage his visit to the U.S. might be construed by him as indication that his chances of obtaining such military aid were slight. However, his visit to the U.S. at this time would probably be generally interpreted as an indication that the U.S. planned to extend large scale military aid to his forces and would thus be undesirable both from his standpoint and from the viewpoint of the U.S. If he came to the U.S. and did not obtain such assistance, it would probably mean the end of what prestige he now has and the collapse of his powers of resistance to the Chinese Communists.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that you sign the attached telegram to Chungking28 authorizing the Chargé d’Affaires to inform President Li that [Page 564] this Government cannot assume the responsibility for his visit to the U.S. at this time in view of the critical situation and the inevitable misinterpretation that such a visit would create.