893.00/15347
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 19.]
Sir: Referring to the Embassy’s despatch No. 2357 of March 27, 1944, in regard to the view of Dr. Sun Fo, President of the Legislative Yuan, on the Chinese political and economic structure, I have the honor to enclose a copy of an article by Dr. Sun entitled “Dr. Sun Yatsen’s Political Philosophy”.8 This article, which was handed to an American Army officer by Dr. Sun, is believed to be of recent date and as yet unpublished and is considered as of some importance in that it explains in some degree Dr. Sun Fo’s political doctrine.
Summary of Article. The number of western scholars who recognize Sun Yat-sen’s greatness is regrettably small. Sun’s theories of government are in striking contrast to those of Nazis and Fascists and are not merely Chinese but also international in character, in that they are imbued with the traditions of the west not less than those of China and are not only the “Principles of Our National Salvation” but also the principles for the salvation of the world. His doctrine of the Three People’s Principles is not chauvinistic or jingoistic but the principle of freedom and equality for the nation-state. A nation should take as its duty the emancipation of all weak and oppressed peoples. The Three People’s Principles do not envisage the same political organizations as those in England and America; they aim at a direct and functional democracy in which the administrative functions of a government are left to a body of experts instead of amateurs. The Swiss Government is a model preferable to that of England and the United States. The Principle of the People’s Livelihood is neither modified capitalism nor disguised communism. China hopes for the equalization of land ownership and regulation of capital to which must be added the nationalization of capital. End of Summary.
Dr. Sun Fo has recently been very active in writing and speaking on the subject of democracy and constitutional government in China. [Page 393] Following his address at the Central Training Corps (Embassy’s despatch under reference), he was reportedly summoned by the Generalissimo for a conference. Although the latter is said to have issued orders that Dr. Sun’s speeches were not to be reported in the Chinese press and while he apparently has not been pleased with statements critical of the Kuomintang made by Dr. Sun, General Chiang is said to have discussed with Dr. Chu Chia-hua (Minister of Organization in the Party) and General Wu Teh-chen (Secretary-General of the Kuomintang Central Executive Committee) the questions raised by Dr. Sun in his speech and to have issued orders that local self-government be established throughout the country within two years. Dr. Sun Fo recently gave indirect confirmation of this in conversation with the Counselor of Embassy.
This is a further example of the effect in China of criticism by liberal sources (practically all of which has come from the United States), which impels at least an outward change in Chinese Government tendencies. Although the issuance of orders by the Generalissimo for local self-government does not in itself mean its establishment nor does it indicate definitively what is meant by “self-government”, the mere fact that General Chiang has reacted to constructive criticism is encouraging. There are few, if any, Chinese of sufficient prestige and influence (aside from Dr. Sun and Madame Sun Yat-sen) who would have dared express openly the opinions contained in Dr. Sun’s speech on democracy in government. It should be noted that Madame Chiang Kai-shek, who spoke at such length in the United States on democracy in China, is considered by most Chinese liberals as a believer in “autocracy not democracy”. Although the views on democracy of many Chinese leaders have been reported in the local press during the publicized movement for constitutional government, no instances of Madame Chiang’s opinion on this widely discussed question have come to the Embassy’s attention.
Respectfully yours,
- Latter not printed.↩