793.94/12353
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Chinese Ambassador called at his own request, primarily, he said, to inform me of his call on the President to present to him a letter from Chiang Kai-shek, and also to hand me a copy of the same letter.11
I inquired what news he had from China. He said that the fighting was stiff and that his people were making a good showing. I further inquired what he knew about the reports in the press today to the effect that a large amount of war supplies had gone into China through Hong Kong. He promptly replied that the reports were true and that such supplies should be helpful for some time.
The Ambassador then said that what his country needed was credit, and since they were making extensive purchases of goods in this country, his Government was very anxious for all possible cooperation here in the establishment of credits. I replied that, of course, his Government had considerable available liquid credits here in this country now. He agreed that this was true and that the credits were very substantial. I then commented further that thus far China had only purchased six or seven million dollars of arms and implements of war from this country. He did not press the matter further except to say that they were looking ahead in thus requesting credits.
I went on to say that at present we were interested almost entirely in the passage of the increased armament measure and in getting before the country more clearly our situation and our policies.
[Page 75]The Ambassador then inquired as to the significance of the withdrawal of the United States armed forces from Tientsin. I replied that sometime before the fighting broke out in July last, my associates in the Department were collaborating in the plan relative to the withdrawal of these troops; that the War Department had wanted them returned, for one reason, among others, that it was not considered a wholesome policy to keep these troops in one place and away from this country for an indefinite period of time; that, therefore, what is taking place in connection with their evacuation is just about what would have occurred at this time had no fighting arisen between China and Japan, and, therefore, there is no significance to the withdrawal of these troops from the standpoint of China or any other government; that they are no longer of any great use where they are now located and this is a further reason for their evacuation. I said I might go further and say that if trouble had not arisen between China and Japan, the Chinese Government and my Government equally would have agreed in the desire for these troops to come out not later than this date; and that the policy of the Chinese Government relative to the discontinuance of extraterritoriality at Shanghai and elsewhere would have been carried out by this time, including the removal of all remaining guards of foreign governments. The Ambassador did not take issue with this view.
I finally remarked that from every viewpoint, therefore, it must be apparent to him and his Government that there is no significance in the evacuation of this regiment from Tientsin. I said further that the British had recalled their troops temporarily sent to Shanghai just as we had recalled ours temporarily sent to that city; and that we took this action in sending the Marines and returning them upon the recommendation of Admiral Yarnell in charge of the Asiatic squadron.