740.0011 Pacific War/2437: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State 82
[Received May 9—6:23 a.m.]
528. The collapse of Burma83 and the present unfavorable military situation have had their repercussions in China with a revival in some quarters of defeatist attitudes, the assertion that China can continue to resist only if the United Nations engage the Japanese in force elsewhere and keep them off China, and rumors of renewed Japanese peace proposals to China.
General Magruder, the Naval Attaché of the Embassy, and some others feel that the Chinese are not fully aware of the gravity of the situation which finds a Japanese column penetrating toward Kunming by way of the Burma Road without opposition.
The Embassy does not find any serious alarm among the higher Chinese officials over the immediate situation. There is disbelief that Japan will attempt any major thrust into Yunnan by the Burma Road at this time although it is admitted that they may penetrate some [Page 43] distance along the road to destroy or seize accumulated supplies and if possible reach and destroy the air base at Paoshan. There are no reports of any Japanese movement toward Yunnan from Indochina. The approaching rainy season is not a favorable time for a Japanese expedition into Yunnan, and it would seem entirely possible for the Chinese with very small forces to blast and block the Burma Road at a number of points to impede the present Japanese advance and perhaps trap the column pushing toward Paoshan. It is true that there are no reports that this is being done, but I believe we should wait some days before concluding that the Japanese push presents a grave situation that the Chinese cannot meet.
There is no confirmation of rumors of Japanese peace proposals to China. The situation is believed to be, (1), that Chiang Kai-shek is determined to continue resistance and, (2), that there is no group in the government with sufficient influence to force Chiang’s retirement in order to come to terms with the Japanese. It is true that Chiang has perhaps lost some prestige over the result in Burma, to which area he sent troops in force contrary to the advice of some of his military advisors, and he undoubtedly lost some prestige through the momentary failure of his policy of reliance on the assistance of America and other powers. But he remains the dominating figure in the national government, and is believed to have the support of the majority of the people in and out of the government who continue to maintain confidence in the ultimate defeat of Japan by the Allied Nations.
- Paraphrase transmitted by the Department on May 9 to the Chief of Staff (Marshall).↩
- For military record published by the Department of the Army in its series, United States Army in World War II, China-Burma-India Theater, see Charles F. Romanus and Riley Sunderland, Stilwell’s Mission to China (1953), especially pp. 118 ff. In a memorandum dated May 9 for the Secretary of State, General Marshall, responding to a telephone message of May 8, reviewed the same record based on messages to and from General Stilwell since April 1, not printed (740.0011 Pacific War/2469).↩