740.0011 PW/8–2644
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 7.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s telegram 1067, August 12, 4 p.m., and the Embassy’s telegram 1425, August 17, 1 p.m.,60 in regard to the appointment of General Chen Cheng as Commander of the reconstituted First War Zone, and to enclose in this relation Sian’s despatch no. 20, August 15, 1944,61 which has just been received in Chungking.
It would appear from Sian’s despatch that General Chen has been very active since his arrival in Sian; that he has embarked on a thoroughgoing reorganization of military affairs in Shensi, Honan and eastern Kansu; that he may adopt a more conciliatory policy toward the Chinese Communists than that followed by General Hu Tsung-nan; and that Generals Hu Tsung-nan and Tang En-po have been relegated to positions of field commanders and have otherwise suffered a decline of power and prestige.
General Chen’s activities in Sian, as described in the enclosed despatch, suggest that he went to Sian with full powers from the Generalissimo to carry out his mission; in any other circumstances, he may have been expected to meet with obstruction and opposition from Generals Hu and Tang and he may even yet experience difficulties. General Chen’s mission to Sian can probably be regarded as a belated recognition by the Generalissimo of the deplorable state to which his northern armies had fallen and of the imperative need of instituting reforms. It is to be hoped that General Chen will be able to accomplish [Page 153] reforms and improvements in the northern armies so that they may be utilized to the full in future campaigns for the recovery of north China.
Respectfully yours,