893.50A/129
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 19.]
Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report, for the Department’s information, on the present status and the prospects of technical cooperation between the League of Nations and China.
Since the autumn of 1933, League of Nations’ cooperation has been effected through the National Economic Council. The Council’s principal fields of work are Highway Construction and Transport, Water Conservancy, Agricultural Rehabilitation, Health, the Cotton Indus try, and Sericultural Improvement. The League of Nations now has technicians cooperating with the National Economic Council in its health, hydraulics, road, and sericulture departments.
Dr. A. Stampar, Yugoslavian, is the League’s health expert in China. He is senior League representative and is paid by the League. In cooperation with the Central Field Health Station and the National Health Administration, he is engaged primarily in elaborating programmes for provincial health organizations and activities. He is, in particular, responsible for the health schemes in the northwestern provinces and in Kiangsi province. At the same time, he is participating in medical education activities in Nanking. Dr. Stampar is understood to enjoy the confidence and respect of Mr. T. V. Soong who at times seeks his advice on financial and economic matters. He is generally accepted as a man of exceptional ability in many fields although his speciality is health work. The Embassy has been informed that he was at one time offered the position of Premier of Yugoslavia, a position which he refused. Dr. Stampar plans to return to Europe in December. Whether he will come back to China or not is uncertain. The Japanese are reported to be bringing pressure [Page 622] to bear on the National Government to have him replaced by a Japanese health expert.
Mr. F. J. M. Bourdrez, Dutch, is cooperating with the National Economic Council in its hydraulic engineering work. He is paid by the League and has been in China since 1932. Mr. Bourdrez is occupied at present with flood prevention and irrigation projects.
Mr. M. S. Okecki, Polish, is the League’s road expert cooperating with the National Economic Council at present. He is paid by the League and has been in China since 1932. Mr. Okecki is assisting the Council in motor road construction work in the central and eastern provinces. He is sailing for Europe in the near future.
Dr. Benito Mari, Italian, is advisor at the Experimental Silk Station near Nanking and also advisor to the Silk Improvement Commission of the National Economic Council. His salary is partially paid by the League and partially by the institutions to which he is advisor. He came to China in 1932.
The League plans to despatch an expert on agricultural cooperation to China this autumn to take over the work commenced by Dr. Strickland, an Englishman, some time ago. He will assist the National Economic Council in instituting rural cooperatives, largely in central China.
There are unconfirmed reports that the League will also send three experts before the end of this year to cooperate with the National Economic Council in hydraulic engineering and road construction. The road expert presumably will take the place of Mr. Okecki.
Early this year the League sent Mr. B. Haas, French, to China on a tour of inspection with a view to obtaining a report on the work being done by the National Economic Council and making recommendations concerning future League cooperation with the Council. Although the nature of Mr. Haas’ report and recommendations to the League is not known, the Embassy has been reliably informed that Mr. Haas stated confidentially to a foreign friend just before he left Nanking on his return to Geneva that (1) League cooperation with China was unsatisfactory as now conducted, (2) League representation in China must either be greatly strengthened or withdrawn entirely, (3) direct cooperation with provincial governments was preferable to the present system of working with the National Economic Council, and (4) the Council was not administered in a manner approved of by him (Mr. Haas).
The general consensus of opinion in Nanking, as gauged by the Embassy, is pessimistic with regard to the future of League cooperation in China. As reasons for this pessimism may be cited a disinclination on the part of official Chinese to “fly in the face” of Japanese [Page 623] opposition to such cooperation and desire to substitute Japanese for League experts; disappointment on the part of the Chinese concerned who hoped to obtain financial as well as technical assistance from the League; and League dissatisfaction with the administration and operation of the National Economic Council. The National Economic Council is understood to have stopped its former practice of making regular reports to the League and the League carries on very little correspondence with the Council.
In addition to the League experts named in preceding paragraphs, there are also in Nanking two secretaries, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Le Dantec, in charge of the League’s office here. Through this office there was recently made available by the League thirty thousand Swiss francs for travelling scholarships for Chinese interested in studying health problems and work in Europe.
Respectfully yours,