893.00/6–1544
The Consul at Kweilin (Ringwalt) to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)83
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy in translation of a letter,84 dated June 15, 1944, addressed to the Vice President of the United States by Mr. Liang Shu-min, Resident Representative in Kweilin of the Federation of Democratic Political Groups of China, who has solicited the good offices of this Consulate in forwarding the letter to the addressee. Mr. Liang was formerly associated for some years with mass education movements in various parts of China. More recently, as representative of the Federation in Kweilin, he has been working [Page 459] for an understanding between the Communists and other minority groups in China to the end that, in the event of a collapse of the present regime, a new government may be formed and China’s war of resistance may be continued with the least possible confusion. This Consulate has informed Mr. Liang that it cannot give him any assurance that the letter will be delivered to the Vice President.
Summary of Letter: China’s present weakness is a direct result of the Kuomintang dictatorship. In the early days of the war, the armies of the central government, the various provincial governments, and the Communists were united in their opposition to the invader. Given effective leadership, their cooperation would have continued. But the central government seems more concerned with the destruction of the Communist and provincial forces than with opposition to Japan; a policy which has kept many divisions in idleness and has been destructive of morale. An even more important factor in the deterioration of China’s position has been the political monopoly exercised by the Kuomintang at the expense of other political groups and interests. The resultant apathy of the intellectuals of China has contributed to China’s failure to enlist its vast but uninformed and unorganized manpower. The Federation advocates (1) the abolition of the Kuomintang monopoly, and (2) the replacement of the present legislative organ by an assembly of representatives of the various political parties and groups with the right to supervise the conduct of the government. At the same time, the intellectuals throughout the country should be called upon systematically to mobilize the people. Although these are internal problems, yet the United States, China’s ally, has the right to expect coordinated action from China, and it is in the interest of the allies that China be strong and united.
Respectfully yours,