893.20/802
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 13.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of a memorandum of March 19, 1944,2 prepared by Second Secretary John S. Service, on detail to General Stilwell’s staff, in regard to a proposed plan to reduce the size of the Chinese Army.
Summary. Chinese circles are said to be discussing a plan to reduce the Chinese Army, a plan which would have advantages as follows: (1) Standards of equipment, training, medical care and rationing could be vastly improved; (2) the present wasteful drain on productive Chinese manpower would be lessened; (3) budgetary savings would be possible with accompanying slowing of inflation; (4) the two principal causes of rural unrest, unfair conscription and grain collection, would be diminished; and (5) officers and units of doubtful loyalty and ability could be discarded. There are, however, several reasons perhaps peculiar to China, which make unlikely any drastic reduction in the Chinese Army: (1) Opposition of elements with vested interests in recruiting, such as the pao chia chang (head of the pao chia units), army and conscripting officers and the gentry or merchants; (2) opposition of provincial leaders, Central Government field commanders and the Chinese Communists; and (3) the impossibility of a Central Government reduction of its own forces in as much as its power rests in the last analysis on its military strength. As long as the basic, overriding consideration in China continues to be the struggle for power and until China becomes a unified, modern state, there appears to be no hope for the reduction of the Chinese armies. End of Summary.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩