893.00/14903
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 30.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Embassy’s despatch no. 157 of September 25, 1941, and to enclose a copy of Daily Bulletin no. 489 of November 3, 1942,59 issued by the China Information Service entitled Wartime Control of Public Organizations.
Since its establishment in December, 1940, the Ministry of Social Affairs has been very active in pursuing the program outlined in the enclosed bulletin. To what extent organizations are in actual existence or exist simply on paper the Embassy has not been able to determine.
As a wartime measure control such as planned by the Social Affairs Ministry may be warranted although doubt exists that it has any appreciable effect on the prosecution of the war. Rather it is generally viewed as part of the program of the Kuomintang, and particularly [Page 253] of the so-called “C–C” clique within the Party, to extend party influence and organization into every phase of social life and thus to strengthen the Party against the feared reaction that may set in after the termination of the war against exclusive, conservative, Kuomintang control of the government.
Incidentally, the cooperative enterprises and societies mentioned in the bulletin are Party sponsored organizations not to be confused with the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives. It is known, however, that the Ministry of Social Affairs has been desirous of bringing the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives under its control.
Respectfully yours,
- Neither printed.↩