893.00/15290
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 6.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Embassy’s telegram No. 258, February 8, 3 p.m. and despatch No. 2207 of February 21, 1944 in regard to the possibility of negotiation of Kuomintang–Communist differences and to despatch No. 2216 of February 23, 1944, in regard to the discussion at a press conference of the Central Government blockade of the Communist-controlled areas. There is now enclosed a copy of a memorandum of February 21, 1944,75 reporting an interview granted by the Communist representative at Chungking to foreign newspaper correspondents on February 16.
Summary. Following the government press conference on February 16, a group of foreign newspaper correspondents called on Mr. Tung Pi-wu, Communist representative at Chungking, to obtain his reaction to the statements made by the Government spokesmen and information concerning the Communist aims in the forthcoming Kuomintang–Communist negotiations. Mr. Tung listed four possible aims of the Communist Party in the negotiations: (1) to obtain treatment with respect to military supplies and pay for the Communist armies equal to that accorded other Chinese forces fighting against [Page 353] Japan; (2) to obtain the lifting of the blockade of the Communist-controlled Shensi–Kansu–Ninghsia Border Region; (3) to obtain recognition of the legality of the Shensi–Kansu–Ninghsia and Shansi–Chahar–Hopei Border Regions; and (4) to obtain recognition of the legality of the Communist Party. Informed by a correspondent that the Central Government denied the existence of the blockade, Mr. Tung suggested to the correspondents that they go and see for themselves whether such a blockade existed and added that the foreign newspaper correspondents would be most welcome at Yenan. End of Summary.
Mr. Tung, the chief Communist representative at Chungking since the departure of General Chou En-lai for Yenan in June 1943 and also a member of the People’s Political Council, informed the correspondents at the beginning of the interview that he could not make any statement to them but that he would be willing for them to print his replies to any questions they might wish to ask. Reports of this interview written by the correspondents for forwarding to their respective newspapers have been handed by the Chinese censors to General Ho Ying-chin, Chief of Staff and Minister of War, for approval and it is not yet known how much of this interview will be passed for transmission abroad.
In connection with the question of the Central Government blockade of the Communist areas and of the shipment of medical supplies to that region (Embassy’s despatch No. 2188 of February 18), informed sources state that the Central Government has now given its approval to the shipment of two truckloads of medical supplies to the Shensi Border Region. Apparently the publicity given to Madame Sun Yat-sen’s message to an American publication (Embassy’s despatch No. 2217 of February 23) and the questions asked by foreign newspaper correspondents at the press conference on February 16 have resulted in the Central Government’s taking belated action to permit the passage of medical supplies furnished by relief organizations.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩