711.93/559
Memorandum by the Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Service)23
The following report of remarks by H. H. Kung and T. V. Soong at the weekly meeting of the Executive Yuan on April 4 comes from a Chinese official newspaper source who has had reliable inside information in the past.
Kung remarked: There has recently been a great deal of critical comment in the foreign press about China. A large part of this is concerned with economic and financial issues and is aimed at me. It seems unfair that China should be singled out. For instance relations between the U. S. and England are not always smooth and people coming from England report that there is a lot of friction between American and British soldiers, even to the point of open fights. There have been no such incidents in China. In the second place, why don’t the Chinese diplomatic representatives in the United States do something about the criticism that is appearing. Whenever a critical article appears it should be immediately followed the next day in the same publication by a refutation or explanation from the Chinese Embassy giving the true facts. In this way the serious deterioration in American good-will can be stopped and the situation can be improved.
Soong replied with considerable heat: American criticism of Great Britain and of China are entirely different. Personal conflicts between individual soldiers are of no importance. American criticism of England is in the field of over-all strategy and national interest. There is no criticism that Great Britain is not organized for war. Criticism of China on the other hand is of China’s real faults: internal political dissension, lack of democracy, lack of economic control, lack of dynamic war effort. Regarding Dr. Kung’s second point, it would be a great mistake to try to have the Chinese Embassy refute or object to every article critical to China. Americans are used to full freedom of expression and of the press. The impression created would be very bad.
[Page 52]Soong went on to suggest two things that should be done to help improve American opinion. (1) Stop sending official party propaganda representatives to the United States. These people can accomplish no good. Their stuff is labeled as propaganda and special pleading and discounted. Effective propaganda must be done through other indirect, unofficial and non-political representatives. (2) Stop the publication of the San Min Chu I School Textbooks which have been prepared for the Chinese youth in the United States by the Ministry of Education. The appearance of these in the United States will be very embarrassing and hard to explain.
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in China in his despatch No. 2468, April 21; received May 11.↩