893.00/8296: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 20—11:30 a.m.]
153. Reuter[s] publishes following under Shanghai February 16 date line:
“Marshal Sun Ch’uan-fang has issued a statement concerning the American proposal for the neutralization of Shanghai. He says that ‘the proposal was undoubtedly prompted by a sincere desire to help China and to avoid further outrages by the revolutionists, but unfortunately President Coolidge has not been advised as to the conditions here in Shanghai as Chinese territory for the peace [and] order of which I am fully responsible [omission?] full cooperation of Marshal Chang Tso lin.’ The statement then goes on to say ‘the strength of my reorganized armies is not only sufficient to maintain peace and order at Shanghai but also forms the basis of my plans for the restoration of China. Have the full cooperation of Marshal Chang Tso-lin who is advancing to attack the Cantonese. In the end my forces shall triumph over the revolutionists, but for a concrete guarantee of the safety of Shanghai I point to the military situation. Briefly the nearest position of the Kuomintang is 300 miles from Shanghai [omission?] power and responsibility, the Government of Kiangsu resents the discussion of any plans with regard to Shanghai with any revolutionist [omission?] has assumed and maintain our power and responsibility and until we have fallen no foreign power is justified in promising diplomatic proposals upon such failure. Furthermore in pursuit of our purpose to maintain order we must have freedom of action and can only regard the efforts of any foreign power to place limitation upon us as an act of intervention favorable [to] our and their enemy. The Cantonese party condemned the facts of the situation as aiming [omission?] political party which never controlled more than one city of the South became associated with the Bolshevists who are seeking a world revolution so that they can experiment with their social and economic ideas which have failed in their own country but which they are now imposing on China. We will resist the importation of these exotic ideas. We resent Russian intervention in China and we will resist that intervention. There is plenty of Chinese manhood to force the undesirable Russians to return to their own country. Here they have destroyed property in five provinces, poisoned the minds of our youth, abused our sense of religion, stopped our trade, debased our currency and now involved us in the possibility of war with foreign powers. We must fight them as we fight the plague, fighting to win. The Chinese is opposed to nationalism. We oppose communism and the imposition upon us of the ideas and methods of the Third International. Therefore, we are fighting to win back foot by foot the territory the Russians have gained through the revolutionary army now having its center at Hankow. We shall succeed. Let no one interfere who seeks the welfare of China.’”