893.00 Manchuria/12–145
Memorandum of Conversation by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Vincent)
| Participants: | Dr. Wei Tao-ming, Chinese Ambassador |
| Mr. Acheson | |
| Mr. Vincent |
At the conclusion of the conversation this morning with Ambassador Wei with regard to control machinery for Japan, the Ambassador took the opportunity to explain recent developments in Manchuria. He said that on November 24 the Soviet Ambassador had informed [Page 1048] the Chinese Government (1) that there were no Chinese Communist troops in the vicinity of the cities of Mukden and Chungchun and (2) that the Soviet Government was prepared to guarantee safe landing for troops of the Chinese National Government that might be landed at the airfields at Mukden and Changchun. Ambassador Wei went on to explain that the Russians would delay withdrawal of their troops from Manchuria for one month; that is, to January 3, and that the Chinese could establish ground crews at the air ports to maintain control thereof and facilitate the landing of troops.
The Ambassador was asked whether there were any other provisions to this agreement with the Russians. He replied that he knew of no other provisions.
The Ambassador then asked that the following information be given to the Secretary. In a recent conversation with the Secretary, Dr. Wei had been asked by the Secretary to explain a statement to the effect that the Russians had guaranteed to disarm Chinese forces in Manchuria which were not under the control of the Chinese National Government. Specifically, the Secretary desired to know whether the guarantee was oral or in writing. Dr. Wei had telegraphed his Government for clarification and had received the reply that, in so far as could be ascertained, the statement was made on the basis of a conversation between the Soviet commander in Manchuria and a representative of the Chinese National Government in Changchun.
(A more complete report of the Soviet-Chinese agreement described by Dr. Wei may be found in Chungking’s telegram no. 2076, December 1, 5 p.m.)