Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, China, Volume VI

893.00/10–2544

Report by the Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Service)¹⁸

No. 37

[Yenan,] October 2, 1944.

Subject: The Communist Success in Eliminating Banditry; Supporting Evidence of Communist Claims of Democratic and Economic Reforms.

To: Commanding General, Fwd. Ech. USAF–CBI, APO 879.

1. There is attached a memorandum¹⁹ regarding the apparent Communist success in handling the banditry problem in the areas under their control.

2. The memorandum may be summarized as follows:

Summary. All reports indicate an absence of banditry in the Communist-controlled areas. This is a marked contrast to the conditions under the Kuomintang. The Communists credit their solution of this age-old Chinese problem to improvement of the economic condition of the peasants, democratic reforms which have eliminated the feudalistic base for much of the banditry, and mobilization of the entire population into mass organizations for the support of the war. The fact of the absence of banditry seems to be concrete evidence of the truth of these claims. End of Summary.

3. It is requested that copies of this report be transmitted to the American Ambassador at Chungking and Headquarters, USAF–CBI, for the information of Mr. Davies.

John S. Service

Approved for transmission:
David D. Barrett, Colonel, G. S. C.

18. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in China in his covering despatch No. 3094, October 25; received November 14.
19. Not printed.