[Enclosure 1]
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador in
China (Gauss)
[Chungking,] June 2, 1944.
At his request, I called on Dr. Soong at his residence at 11 o’clock this
morning. (Dr. Soong is ill; he has been in bed with an intestinal
infection. He got up to receive me.)
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Dr. Soong explained that Ambassador Wei had reported to the Foreign
Office on his conversation with Mr. Hull in regard to the proposed
conference at Washington on post-war international organization for
peace. Ambassador Wei had reported that the U. S. has taken the position
that China should join this conference along with Britain and Soviet
Russia. At the Moscow Conference, Molotov had suggested a 3 power
conference—of the U. S., USSR and Britain at Washington. Secretary Hull
for the U. S. has taken the position that China should also
participate.
Ambassador Wei had explained the position to the Foreign Office. The
Generalissimo, and the Foreign Office, are most grateful for the
American support of China; for the American position that China should
be invited to join the conference with Britain and Russia. The
Generalissimo accordingly has wished to address the President on the
subject. Dr. Soong then handed me the attached message from
Generalissimo Chiang to the President with the request that it be
transmitted.
Dr. Soong went on then to say that he had just had another message from
Ambassador Wei, who reported that Secretary Hull had again sent for Wei,
saying that the matter of obtaining agreement to China’s participation
was worrying him and asking what the reaction might be to a repetition
of the Cairo–Teheran arrangement; that is, a 3 Power conference of
America, Britain and China, and a 3 Power conference of America, Britain
and Russia. Dr. Soong said that he expects to see the Generalissimo and
get his reaction on the subject. Dr. Soong emphasized that the Asiatic
peoples should have representation at the United Nations conference for
post-war organization.
Dr. Soong asked me when the conference would be held. I told him that I
had no information. He also asked whether Secretary Hull would speak for
the United States. I replied that it is my information that when this
question was put to the Secretary at a press conference he had replied
that he had not yet reached that point. I did not know whether it would
be a conference of Foreign Ministers. Off the record, Dr. Soong said
that he hoped it might be; it might give him an opportunity to “do
something” rather than be sitting here with practically nothing to
do.
Our conversation then turned to the military situation. Dr. Soong said
that, speaking frankly—as he always did when speaking with me—the
situation is discouraging. He said that it is not believed that Changsha
can be held. The Japanese, he said, are moving 4 divisions westward to
engage the Chinese forces in the Ichang area and keep them occupied; at
the same time about 7 divisions are driving toward Changsha. They will
try to take Changsha and Hengyang; and at that time it is probable that
Japanese forces now mobilizing in the
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Canton area (they usually have had 1½ divisions
there; now they have 4 divisions; an increase of 2½ divisions) would
strike northward. Soong said that he did not believe that Changsha could
be held even with air support. It is his view that Japan will not
perhaps attempt to hold the line from Hankow to Canton, but that Japan
will plan to hold key positions along that line to prevent the building
of air bases in eastern China from which to attack Japan proper. Dr.
Soong said that China has suffered a severe setback in Honan and he
fears that she will suffer reverses in the drive into Hunan.
