761.93/8–545: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
White House Number 316. Your cable Number 040931.9a You are authorized to inform Stalin:
- (1)
- While we have no intention of withdrawing our support of the agreed Yalta proposals we believe that Soong has already met the Yalta requirements and we hope very much the Generalissimo will not press for further concessions.
- (2)
- We would request that no agreement be made involving further concessions by China that might adversely affect our interests, particularly with reference to the inclusion of the Port of Dairen in the Soviet military zone, without consultation with us. It should be recalled that President Roosevelt declined to agree to Soviet original proposal for a lease of Dairen and insisted on its internationalization as a free port. Because of our interest in the open door policy we would be opposed to the inclusion of the Port of Dairen in the Soviet military zone or its use as a Soviet naval base.
- (3)
- We would further suggest that a protocol, along the lines of the draft attached to your memorandum of July 28, reaffirming Stalin’s verbal assurances to observe the “Open Door” policy in Manchuria should be concluded immediately and published at the same time as [Page 956] the Soviet-Chinese arrangements. This would go far to dispel misunderstanding, as our public opinion is much opposed to any arrangements which might be construed to prejudice our historic open door policy.
In taking up proposed protocol with Stalin you should eliminate last paragraph of your draft.
While we much prefer Soong’s proposal for a free port of Dairen under Chinese administration with a commercial lease of a certain section of the port for Soviet transit traffic, you may advise Soong and Stalin, should it become necessary, that we would not object to the creation of an international commission consisting of representatives of the Chinese, Soviet, United States and possibly British Governments to supervise the operation of Dairen as a free port.