893.00/4–2144
Memorandum by Mr. Augustus S. Chase of the Division of Chinese Affairs12
Chungking’s underlying despatch no. 2357 of March 27, 1944,13 encloses the text of a speech entitled “Democratization of the Government and Planned Economy” delivered at the Central Training Corps by Dr. Sun Fo, President of the Legislative Yuan. The subject and locale of Dr. Sun’s address show that it is the speech which was reported by Brooks Atkinson under dateline Chungking, April 14, in the New York Times of April 15, and which, by its surprisingly frank criticism of Kuomintang Fascist tendencies, caused a sensation. In the light of the Embassy’s statements (last sentence of first paragraph and penultimate sentence of third paragraph), and of the fact that no news of the address reached the American press until the middle of April, it would appear that, although the authorities considered the address unsuitable for publication, Dr. Sun himself had it brought to the attention of the American Embassy and that a few weeks later someone (possibly Dr. Sun) considered it desirable to have it published in America.
It is believed that you will wish to read the Embassy’s summary of the speech and also the remaining paragraphs of the covering despatch wherein the Embassy points out (1) the unprecedented character of such “outspoken semi-public criticism by a Kuomintang and Government leader”, (2) the extraordinary extent to which American public opinion and China’s desire for American friendship can aid the advance of democracy in China, and (3) the fact that even the Generalissimo, despite his resentment over public criticism of China, “realizes as fully as any one the dependence of China upon the United States”. (Of interest in this connection is Chungking’s telegram no. 673 of April 18, [copy attached],14 which further develops these same themes; and also a recent statement made to an officer of CA15 by a well-known Chinese professor of journalism [Hubert S. Liang]16 to the effect that Dr. Sun was enabled to make such a speech by virtue of actions which had been taken very recently in Washington.)
While the Embassy’s summary adequately indicates the general character of Dr. Sun’s address, it would be worth your while, unless you have already studied the more detailed summary given in the [Page 397] New York Times article, to glance through the address itself (enclosure),16a especially pages 6–8, which concern China’s need for democracy from the standpoint of American and British opinion and also include an interesting paragraph on page 7 revealing Dr. Sun’s customary regard for the Soviet Union. Of interest also is Dr. Sun’s feeling that, while political democracy is needed, China’s type of economy requires a form of state economic control, somewhat similar to the Soviet system.
There is also attached Chungking’s despatch no. 2237 of February 28, 1944,17 reporting a statement by Dr. Sun recently published in the Ta Kung Pao. It is interesting to note that, in contrast to the liberal views expressed in Dr. Sun’s address before the Central Training Corps which was not (originally) for publication, the views expressed in this statement are not “distinguished in any way from the general views expressed by the Party-controlled organs or by prominent Party officials”. The first two paragraphs of this despatch and the “Conclusion” (page 7) are recommended for reading.