Page 140
Page 140
THIS TELEGRAM IS OF PARTICULAR SECRECY AND SHOULD BE RETAINED
BY THE AUTHORISED RECIPIENT AND NOT PASSED ON].
F
/G. [CYPHER]).
CABINET DISTRIBUTION.
No. 1014.
FROM FOREIGN OFFICE TO CHUNGKING.
August 29th, 1945.
D. 9.15 p.m. August 29th, 1945,
Repeated to Washington No. 8978
Supreme Allied Command South East Asia No. 447.
IMMEDIATE,
MOST IMMEDIATE.
TOP SECRET.
УУУУУУУУ
Your telegram No. 973 [of August 29th: Hong Kong].
It is not we who are trying to gain face. On the contrary we are making every effort to act in complete agreement with Chiang Kai-shek in a matter where, even without agreement, we believe that we should be acting not only within our own rights but strictly within Allied arrangements.
2. We are nevertheless reluctant to go ahead as planned without a final effort to secure agreement. We should not wish to let the matter rest on the basis of your telegram No. 958 without any response on our side.
3. We cannot very well pursue the proposal in my telegram No. 1001 in face of such strong advice from Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. But you should at once see Generalissimo personally and put to him the suggestion in paragraph 3 of my telegram No. 1002, representing it as a long stride on the part of His Majesty's Government to meet him. This proposal which is the furthest we can go is made in virtue not only of his position as Commander-in-Chief, China Theatre, but of his operational Command of British forces in China. earnestly hope that he will accept it.
We
4. Since the above was drafted I have received your telegram No. 978, but I still send this telegram to show you our feeling. We should of course still prefer if possible to secure the waiver of Chiang Kai-shek's authority; and a public acknowledgement on our part of a graceful act on his would, we feel, be of considerable value to Sino-British relations which we, as much as the Generalissimo, desire to strengthen.
O.T.P.
113
Page 140
Page 140
Page 140Page 141