793.94/9010
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck)
Colonel Bratton’s estimate, below,6 is in line with the views which I expressed tentatively (before receipt of Colonel Bratton’s estimate) in conference this morning.
I would phrase the conditional statement with which he concludes a little differently: I would put it that
“unless the Chinese press too hard, diplomatically and militarily, from Nanking, there would appear to be substantial likelihood that an adjustment will be arrived at without the matter going to the point of major military operations (meaning, that there may be some further military operations for purposes of developing the situation to a point where the stage would be set for a settlement by negotiation but good chance that a major military conflict may be avoided).”