740.0011 Pacific War/3502a: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
1495. Comments on statements in regard to the Far East made by Senators who recently returned from a visit to the fighting fronts have centered largely on statements relating to Soviet-Japanese relations and to the question of American airplane bases in Siberia. Comparatively little has been said about China.
It is believed that the views of certain Senators as indicated below will be of interest to the Embassy.
In a speech on September 30 in the Senate reporting on his trip, Senator Lodge in speaking of “the dangerous results of sugary and overdrawn propaganda” of our Government said:
“We must not perpetrate any more of these false notions. We invite ultimate cynicism, disillusionment, and even hatred of our allies if we do so.
I have seen small signs of this already. Many of our young men, for example, come to China imbued with the idea that China is a great modern democracy with millions of men fighting with their backs to the wall. Upon arrival they find this is not the case. With the impetuousness of youth they thereupon go to the other extreme. They overlook the industry, good-humor, and democratic attitude of the individual Chinese once they have discovered that the Central Government is not like ours. They overlook the fact that due to the Chinese Army 15 Japanese divisions are in China, in spite of the fact that the Chinese Army, to put it mildly, is not comparable to ours. They overlook the advantage to America in having a strong China. It would be better for China and for us if a true picture were given to the American people. When Oliver Cromwell had his portrait painted he said to the artist, ‘Paint me as I am, the wart and all.’ The truth about China is in many ways inspiring, and China as she now stands is a real military asset to the United States. Her achievements can be more accurately measured if her difficulties are more clearly realized.”
Senator Chandler is quoted in the press as stating “I’ve been to those China air bases and I’ve talked to the men there. We’re apt to lose them unless more support is given.” He is said also to have warned that Stilwell and Chennault needed great aid immediately, to have asserted that the British were “lukewarm” in the war against Japan, and to have stated that the United States would be in a serious position if it lost its bases in China and had none in Russia either.
Senator Russell is reported to have taken the British to task for not launching an offensive in Burma although he expressed confidence in the ability of Lord Mountbatten.
[Page 152]The reports made by the recently returned five Senators in secret session of the Senate have not been published.79
- Notation on the original: “(Note: Senator Lodge’s speech mentioned in paragraph 2 of above telegram appears in the Congressional Record of September 30. The remarks attributed to Senator Chandler cited in paragraph 4 of the telegram appeared in the October 5 and October 7 issues of the Washington Star and Washington Post respectively; Senator Russell’s in the October 8 issue of the Washington Star.)”↩