893.00/15321: Airgram
The Vice Consul at Kunming (Rutherford) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 27—9 a.m.]
A–11. Reference the Consulate General’s airgram no. A–10, March 9, 5 p.m. It is reliably reported that General Lung Yun, Chairman of the Yunnan Provincial Government and concurrently Chairman of the Yunnan–Kweichow Pacification Commission, is being subjected to considerable pressure from Central Government officials now in Kunming to tender his resignation either as the chief military or chief civil official of the province in order to make way for a Chungking appointee who would then be in position to accelerate the extension of the authority of the Central Government in this area at the expense of local autonomy. It is generally believed, however, that he will be able to resist any persuasion short of a show of force, a step which the Central Government is not at this time ready to take. When and if Chungking does decide on such a drastic move, he will have no recourse but to back down, as it is estimated that there are over 200,000 Central Government troops in Yunnan as opposed to some 60,000 provincial troops. He has recently been decorated by the Central Government for his distinguished contribution to “peace and order” in Yunnan. This may be preliminary to a move on the part of Chungking to “kick him upstairs” to some sinecure without authority.
Foreigners who have talked to T. V. Soong since his arrival in Yunnan have been impressed with his air of complete dejection and pessimism; it appears that the rift between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the ruling clique is so deep that it may be impossible to effect a conciliation between them. He has admitted privately that he is being excluded from all discussions of policy and that he is not even being kept informed of developments.