Page 81
Э
OUR REF: C. O. S. 1108/5 Buhr Green
DEFICES SIRUHE WAR SAE
GREAT GEORGE
bb
TOP SECRET
Dear Stendale -Bennett
17th August, 1945
I attach for your advance information, a copy of a minute which has being submitted to the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary giving the comments of the Chiefs of Staff on President Truman's telegram No. 4 to the Prime Minister insofar as it affects Hong Kong and French Indo-China.
The Chiefs of Staff had not seen Chungking telegrams No. 856 and 857 when the attached reply to President Truman was drafted but General Ismay, to whom I have shown copies of these telegrams, considers that the military view is not affected by them.
If, however, the Foreign Office consider that some compromise is desirable in order to save Chinese "face", perhaps on the lines suggested by Sir Horace Seymour in para 4 of his No. 857, we will of course put any suggested Foreign Office amendments to the attached draft before the Chiefs of Staff as soon as we receive them from you and let you know their views.
I regard your letter of the 16th August (F.5166/1147/G) covering Chungking No. 845 as now being overtaken and am taking no action on it.
J.C. Sterndale Bennett, Esq.,
C.M. G., M. C. Foreign Office.
Jans sinceref C.R. Price
Page 81
Page 81
Page 81