740.00119 Control (Japan)/11–3045: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
2432. It is not my present intention to send you a final statement of our position regarding the Allied Council and Far Eastern Commission for presentation to the Soviet Government but rather to leave the matter open pending further developments in the matter referred to in the first paragraph of your 4022 of November 30.
Meanwhile we are taking steps to clarify the position of the Chinese and British Governments in regard to these two documents. These two original documents were communicated to the British and Chinese Governments in the same form in which they were sent to you in our telegrams 2234 and 2235, both of October 27. Both Governments have been kept informed from time to time of the course of our discussions with the Soviet Government. Neither Government however has given us an official expression of its agreement or disagreement with either the original documents or the various suggestions and changes which have been made during the course of your negotiations in Moscow. Accordingly we have now submitted to both the British and Chinese Ambassadors revised drafts of these two documents in the form in which they are being sent to you in the next two following telegrams. We have stated that the changes made have been made for the purpose of meeting so far as possible the position of the Soviet Government. We have also explained the other positions taken by the Soviet Government which we have not been able to meet. We have asked the two Ambassadors to consult their Governments and to inform us as soon as possible whether they would find it possible to concur in the revised drafts and, if not, what changes they severally propose. It has seemed necessary to do this before this Government is in a position to take a final attitude upon these papers.
Since this is the first time that you have had a complete revision of both documents, the Department desires that you call attention to any point where either may fail to give effect to your discussions, and for any other comments which you may have.