893.00/15370
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 11.]
Sir: Referring to the Embassy’s despatch no. 1594 of September 18, 1943,17a in regard to the Federation of Chinese Democratic Parties, and to the Embassy’s despatch no. 2303 of March 14, 1944, in regard to the unification of anti-Central Government elements, I have the honor to enclose a copy of a memorandum of April 14, 194418 prepared by Second Secretary John S. Service, on detail to General Stilwell’s staff, reporting the views of Chinese minority party leaders.
Summary. The views reported are those expressed by Tso Shunsheng, leader of the Youth Party, and Shen Chun-ju of the National Salvation Association during an interview with Mr. Service. The largest of the minority parties is the Youth Party with a membership of about 20,000 in free China, the majority of whom are in Szechuan. The minority parties and groups exert an influence far beyond their actual membership because they represent democratic ideals and because their membership is drawn from among minor officials, junior officers, small merchants and the intellectuals. They hope to form a third group between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and their immediate objectives are legal recognition and freedom to engage in publicity and political activity. The problem of democracy lies with the Generalissimo, who has gone as far as he can along his [Page 398] present course. Hope lies in his proven flexibility and adaptation under pressure. A strong force in bringing about needed reforms in China and in directing China toward democracy is foreign influence, especially that of the United States. Recent American criticism has been extremely beneficial and welcomed by liberal Chinese. Postwar American economic aid is essential to China’s rehabilitation and development; but Chinese Government participation must not be too great in the reconstruction for fear of throttling private enterprise, and private rather than governmental foreign capital would be preferable. Chinese policy should be directed to that end by legislation offering sufficient inducement to foreign capital and protection of foreign interests. End of Summary.
Respectfully yours,
- Foreign Relations, 1943, China, p. 341.↩
- Enclosure not printed.↩