893.105/97
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 3.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of despatch no. 101 of March 28, 1944,20 from the Secretary on detail at Sian in regard to the activities of General Tai Li, head of the Generalissimo’s secret police.
Summary. General Tai has been traveling through Shensi and Honan Provinces recently in connection with the functioning of his [Page 399] intelligence organizations and the creation of a Kuomintang organization which will work for the reassertion of the Central Government’s authority in north China, which has been progressively lost to the Chinese Communists. General Tai is reliably quoted as stating that the Communist question is of more importance than that of Japan in so far as China is concerned. General Tai is said to feel that it is important to win over the puppet officials to the Central Government and that one means of doing so is to give them guarantees that they are not to be molested after the conclusion of the war. Most puppet officials apparently desire such an arrangement as they are convinced Japan cannot win the war. General Tai is described by an American observer21 as having as great power and influence as ever and as being increasingly entrusted by the Generalissimo with carrying out various tasks. End of Summary.
Respectfully yours,