893.001/168: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 31—9:33 a.m.]
811. Embassy’s 809, May 29, 2 p.m. and previous.69 Illness of President Lin Sen. At an extraordinary meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Executive Committee held last night, May 29, decision was taken to insert a provision in organic law of the National Government to the effect that the President of the Executive Yuan (General Chiang Kai-shek) shall act on behalf of the President of the National Government in case the latter is incapacitated by any cause. The provision was subsequently promulgated by a National Government mandate and General Chiang is accordingly acting as (technically “on behalf of”) the Chief of State without, however, assuming the title. It is now to be assumed that any difficulties in international, Party, and Government politics which might have been anticipated in the expected event of Mr. Lin Sen’s death have been resolved for the time being and will not arise until and unless decision is taken by Chiang and the group in control to select a substantive [Page 244] replacement for the President other than the Generalissimo himself.
The promulgation of the new provision of the organic law has been made public.
- Telegrams not printed. President Lin Sen suffered a stroke on May 12. A message of concern, sympathy, and hope for his early recovery was sent by President Roosevelt on May 13.↩