WAR DEPARTMENT
                      W A S H I N G T O N
December 13, 1941.
 
Dear Mr. President:
 
I am sending a draft which may assist you in framing a message to Chiang Kai-shek for such
conference in Chungking as you suggested this morning.
 
Since leaving you I find that there is here already a military mission from Great Britain duly
authorized to confer on just such matters as you are suggesting; also that there are fully qualified
representatives of Australia, the Dutch East Indies, and China, who could confer with us here on
Just such matters as you suggested for Singapore. I suggest that such a preliminary conference
might be held here instead of at Singapore.
 
So far as the Moscow conference is concerned, I do not feel that I am in possession of sufficient
acquaintance with the addressee or familiarity with what you proposeto discuss with himto make
any attempt at such a draft by me of very much use to you.
 
Faithfully yours,
 
                                               Secretary of War.
 
The President,
The White House.