793.94/16865: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:25 p.m.]
1701. For the President, the Secretary and the Under Secretary. In conversation with the Chinese Ambassador today he said that fighting in Hunan Province is still in progress and that the Japanese losses there have been particularly severe. He added that according to information received by him from his government while there had not as yet been any break in the Japanese lines the Chinese commanders did not believe the Japanese could continue to support the present scale of losses much longer but would retire.
In response to my inquiry the Ambassador said that Soviet deliveries of war material are continuing but on a much decreased scale as the Chinese Government, recognizing the Soviet position at the present time, had reduced its requests to a bare minimum—which is being met.
The Ambassador expressed the opinion that the Japanese would make no effort to occupy Thailand “unless and until the United States and Great Britain become seriously involved elsewhere.”