893.24/766
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)
The Chinese Ambassador called at his request and informed me that he had a telegram from his Government expressing his Government’s great anxiety in connection with the fact of shutting off of supplies via Indochina and inquiring whether something might not be done by the American Government in relation to that situation. I inquired whether it was not true that on several previous occasions the French authorities had announced discontinuance of conveyance of supplies into China via Indochina. The Ambassador replied that they had, but that in this case it appeared that there will be a real discontinuance of the flow of really important supplies, especially gasoline. I made the observation that I doubted whether the discontinuance would be complete, and, of course, the French authorities in Indochina have been under great pressure. The Ambassador said that he of course understood that.
The Ambassador then said that his telegrams indicated that his Government was not discouraged by what had occurred at Ichang and stated that Chinese forces had re-taken and were in possession of Shasi.
I inquired whether the Ambassador had any news of T. V. Soong.72 The Ambassador said that he had nothing from his Government, but that he had had a telephone message from a friend in Manila stating that Soong was on his way to the United States by Clipper. The Ambassador intimated that he hoped that, if this was true, Soong would be able to accomplish something useful in this country.
- Former Chinese Minister of Finance; chairman of the board of directors, Bank of China.↩