740.0011 Pacific War/3858
The Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Rice) to the Secretary of State 24
[Received April 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to report, as of possible interest in connection with the contents and character of American news and information being disseminated abroad, the following information on the subject of Chinese knowledge of the American war effort.
In recent conversations with numerous Chinese of various classes in northwest China I have been struck by the widespread absence of knowledge in regard to the sacrifices which the American people are making in connection with the present war. Most Chinese of the educated and official classes have learned from the Chinese press of American victories on the battlefield and on the production front. Too few realize the extent to which Americans of all degrees of education, wealth and social status, up to and including the sons of the President himself, are serving in the armed forces on combat duty. Most Chinese seem to regard American production as something semi-magical and American resources as inexhaustible. There is almost no appreciation of the extent to which our reserves of such resources as oil and iron ore are being used up nor of the national debt which is being incurred.
Almost no Chinese in the northwest realize the extent to which American production has had to be devoted to production of goods for war uses nor the degree to which rationing is applied in the United States. Quite typical was a Chinese provincial official who entertained me in Tsinghai last month. After an eighteen-course lunch (which included fourteen meat dishes) he remarked rather smugly that he doubted whether the Germans now dine as well as [Page 53] we had. I agreed and replied that people in America do not now dine as well, either. The official looked blank and murmured, “But America is an agricultural country.” I proceeded to tell him about American shipments abroad of food and about the rationing of meat and other foods. The explanation was, apparently, so new to him that his expression remained one of incredulity and bewilderment.
Respectfully yours,
- Approved by the Ambassador for transmission to the Department.↩