893.00/15214: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:25 p.m.]
2370. Since the return of T. V. Soong early in October there have been persistent reports from varied sources that serious difficulties have arisen between him and the Generalissimo and that there has been in progress a violent family row … The general tenor of the reports is that Soong incurred Chiang’s anger by making decisions in Washington without prior reference to the Generalissimo (the giving of China’s agreement to the Italian Armistice terms is reportedly one instance); that while at Delhi en route he repeated this error in agreeing to some jurisdictional proposals of Mountbatten2 which are said to be still at issue; that, during his first talk with the Generalissimo, Soong made the breach irreparable by losing his own temper in the face of Chiang’s violent dressing down; that some Chinese returning from the United States poisoned Chiang’s mind against Soong with stories of the latter’s alleged personal financial transactions …
It has been obvious from Soong’s actions that there has been something radically wrong. Upon his return to Chungking, he immediately went almost into retirement socially and officially, transacting only necessary business with foreign diplomatic representatives at his residence and repairing frequently to the hills. Unusual delays were (and still are) encountered in matters requiring his attention and matters which would ordinarily receive ready reply (such as question of adherence of Colombia to United Nations Declaration) have had to wait “decision by the Generalissimo”. It was reliably reported that Soong was rudely shut out of the room when Chiang conferred with Mountbatten and he did not accompany the Chiangs to Cairo.
About a month ago it was widely reported that the difficulties had been smoothed out but recent stories from a number of sources indicate [Page 388] that the situation has not improved and Soong is obviously not his usual self. That the hostility between him and Kung has never been resolved is doubtless an additional disruptive factor in the situation.
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- Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia.↩