Evening star., 1945-11-23

very earnestly to recommend tina
at this time I call in the Japanes.
Ambassadors and hand to them {
copy of the comprehensive basis
proposal for a general peaceful set.
tlement, and at the same time with.
hold the modus vivendi proposal"
In his testimony to the committed
today Mr.. Hull said that, $50 fal
as the modus vivendi aspect woule
haves appeared to the Japanese, il
contained only little chicken feec
in the shape of some cotton, oil
and a few other commodities il
very limited quantities as compared
with the unlimited quantities the
Japanese were demanding"
United States Opposition Apparent
He added his belief that "It was
manifest that there would be wide.
spread opposition from American
opinion to the modus vivendi aspect
OF the proposal, especially to the
supplying to Japan of even limited
quantities of OIL"
Among the documents released
today was memo of a conference
on November 27, 1941-the day afte,
the final note went to Japan-be.
tween Mr.. Hull and the Australian
Minister, Richard G. Casey. Mr.
Casey had called to inquire whethe,
the modus vivendi had been aban.
doned permanently, to which Mr.
Hull replied, Il so considered it,
The memorandum quotes Mr.. HUI
as continuing:
Il referred to copies of British
communications on the subject
adding that Ambassador Halifax
was strong for the proposal all the
way and that I sympathized with
his situation, but I did not feel tha,
the tions from Churchill
and Eden, with qualifications such
as were in them, would be very help
full in bitter fight that would be
projected by Chang Kai-shek and
carried forward by all of the NAL
contents in the United States, al
though I felt unreservedly that
Churchill and Eden, like the Brit
iSh Ambassador here, would be for
whatever we might do, even though
not entirely to their liking in every
way. The Minister inquired whether
l thought it would be feasible tc
take up this matter further with the
Chinese, and I replied that I did
not think so, so far as I am con-
cerned."
Another memorandum shows that
also on November 27 Lord Halifax
called on then Undersecretary OF
State Sumner Welles, and said "he
was not quite clear in his own mind
as to the reasons which prompted
this sudden change in presenting
the japanese government with a
document other than the modus
vivendi document which had so re-
Gently been under discussion"
Welles Repeated Reference.
Mr.. Welles repeated Mr.. Hull's
reference to "half-hearted" British
support and continued in the mem
orandum:
Lord Halifax said he could not
understand this inasmuch as he hao
communicated to Secretary Hull the
full support of the British govern
ment.
ITO that I replied that the mes
sage sent by Mr.. Churchill to the
President yesterday could hardly be
regarded as full support but on
the contrary, very grave questioning
of the course then proposed.
Lord Halifax said that this mes
sage had been intended merely to
express the objections on the part
of the Chinese government. He
went on to say he himself had been
surprised by the vigor of the Chi
nese objections, and that he had, in
fact, stated to the Chinese Ambas-
sador that in view of the fact that
only 10 days ago Gen. Chang Kai-
shek was imploring the British and
the United States Government to
prevent the closing of the Burma
road, 1t would seem to him, Lord
Halifax, that the course proposed by
Secretary Hull gave positive assur-
ances to the Chinese government
that the Burma road would in fact
be kept open If the modus vivendi
agreement with Japan could be
He said that he felt the attitude
taken by the Chinese government
was based partly on faulty informa-
ton and partly on the almost hys-
terical reaction because of the fear
that any kind of an agreement
reached between Japan and the
United States at this time would