793.94/11897
Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)
On the evening of December 11 the Chinese Embassy called me on the telephone and asked for an appointment for the Ambassador. I made an appointment for yesterday afternoon, Sunday, December 12—so that before seeing the Ambassador I would have reported at the Department.
I reported at the Department yesterday morning.
When we met yesterday afternoon the Ambassador had with him Dr. Hu Shih. The Ambassador asked for news of the Brussels Conference.5 I gave a brief account of the Conference and we exchanged some comments—especially on the work of the Chinese Delegation.
The Ambassador said that he was very anxious to know what would be henceforth the attitude and what might be the action of the United States. I said that I was unable to make forecasts; that any observer might make his own estimates of possibilities; and that in all probability the Ambassador and Dr. Hu, having been here during recent weeks and having doubtless followed developments very closely, would be able to answer the question which was in the Ambassador’s mind just as accurately as might I—if not more so: courses of action would depend in considerable part upon developments in the Far East and developments here and elsewhere. I then inquired what effect the most recent developments at Nanking would have on the situation in China. The Ambassador replied promptly and emphatically that China would continue to fight.
Dr. Hu said that public opinion in this country was developing in a manner more and more sympathetic toward China and indicative of awareness that the situation in China presents a problem of concern to all nations. He cited, in evidence, recent editorial opinion, in [Page 797] particular that of the New York Times and the Christian Science Monitor.
Dr. Hu then left to go to the train.
The Ambassador said that he was very anxious to have some indication of the probable trend of American official action. I said that I could give him nothing on that point, repeating that I could not make forecasts and that each observer could make his own estimates of possibilities. The Ambassador said that he wanted to be able to report to Chiang Kai-shek something of an encouraging nature. I said that it seemed to me that a careful examination of the record of the Brussels Conference, on which I had no doubt but that the Chinese Delegation at that Conference had reported fully, ought to give the Chinese considerable encouragement. I made reference especially to the declarations made by the Conference, in particular the declaration of November 24;6 and I mentioned the considerate and sympathetic attitude of nearly all of the other delegations toward the Chinese Delegation. The Ambassador said that the Chinese appreciated all those things and that they especially appreciated the attitude of the American Government and the American Delegation. I then took occasion to remind the Ambassador of an observation which I had made to him some weeks ago, to the general effect that the Chinese should formulate their policies and determine their courses of action on the basis of an assumption that no form of positive assistance would be forthcoming from any other country; by doing that they would put themselves on solid ground; if, contrary to that assumption, assistance should prove to be forthcoming from any other country or countries, China would gain just that much thereby; but, if China assumed that assistance would be forthcoming and then the assumption was proven to be unfounded, China would be just that much the worse off for having made and having proceeded upon such an assumption. The Ambassador said that he remembered my having given him that hint. I said that I continued to feel that it would be to China’s advantage to shape her course with such a thought in mind; that, in fact, I felt that every country might to advantage shape its courses on the basis of such a principle.
The Ambassador said that if at any time I could give him an indication of this Government’s intentions he would welcome my doing so. I said that in my opinion the only persons who could appropriately give indications of our intentions would be the President and the Secretary of State; but that I might suggest that the Ambassador and his staff watch and study closely the trend of and developments in public opinion.
- Dr. Hornbeck had just returned from the Brussels Conference.↩
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 417.↩