893.9111/84: Telegram
The Ambassador in China ( Gauss ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:03 p.m.]
2017. Central Daily News, semi-official Government organ, yesterday published Chinese editorial discussing Chinese Exclusion Act which while otherwise unobjectionable closed with a statement regarding future Sino-American collaboration which is translated as follows: “Whether or not the two great nations China and the United States can genuinely shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand undertake the mission of this great epoch will depend on whether or not the Magnuson bill can pass the Senate.”
Hollington Tong of Ministry of Information urgently contacted OWI22 representative here asking that editorial be not cabled to United States and that OWI make similar request of me. OWI was told Gissimo23 was angry over editorial and had ordered court martial of editor. Later OWI was asked not to repeat this information to me.
Tong later called on me and expressed regret at publication of editorial saying it does not represent opinion or spirit of Chinese Government, the Party, or the people. He did not disclose at whose instance he called.
I told Tong we sometimes report summaries of editorials for information of Department24 but not with purpose of their republication in American press, that I had not yet received full translation of editorial, and that I could not say whether I would report it to Department. He asked if I reported I add his statement as set out in above paragraph.
- Office of War Information.↩
- Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, President of the National Government of China.↩
- Embassy telegrams nos. 592, 770, and 824, April 24, May 24, and May 31, respectively, reporting Chinese editorial comment in favor of repeal by the United States of laws excluding Chinese, not printed.↩