811.458 China/54
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of excerpts of a translation1 of the New Year’s message written by Dr. Sun Fo, President of the Legislative Yuan, as reported in a Central News Agency despatch. The message in general is a review of the past year’s accomplishments by the United Nations in the military and political fields, but the enclosed excerpts are of interest in that they relate to Soviet Russia and post-war Sino-Soviet relations.
Summary. Dr. Sun expresses belief that “our Ally, the Soviet Union” will enter the war against Japan when “the time comes” because of the following reasons: (1) the Soviet Union is China’s Ally; (2) the Soviet Union must participate in the war in order to remove the danger of aggression; (3) the Soviet Union has an obligation for the maintenance of peace in the Pacific; (4) world peace is indivisible; (5) the Soviet Union should seize this golden opportunity to crush Japan and permanently remove a threat to her in the Far East.
Establishment of post-war peace in Asia requires close collaboration between China and the Soviet Union. Good neighborliness and collaboration are natural because (1) the two countries are founded on revolutionary principles and have always been sympathetic with each other; (2) both nations are peace-loving and opposed to aggression; (3) each has vast territories and resources and aside from recovering lost territories has no territorial ambitions; (4) both countries maintain friendly relations with Great Britain and the United States and will continue to cooperate with them after the war; (5) both China and the Soviet Union will engage in rehabilitation and reconstruction; and (6) both nations are fighting and rebuilding under great leaders. In addition to these points the two nations have also the same spirit of gallantry and sacrifice in this war against aggression. End of Summary.
While Dr. Sun frequently makes a show of his pro-Soviet sympathies and perhaps has little influence on questions of major Chinese [Page 759] policy, his views represent those of a few persons who realize that China and the Soviet Union must reach an understanding if there is to be peace in the Far East. The majority of the officials of the Kuomintang is, however, so motivated by suspicion of Soviet intentions regarding Manchuria and the Chinese Communists that they can envisage no possibility of Sino-Soviet cooperation and their planning for the post-war period has ever in the background the fear of Soviet Russia, which is seen in the emphasis on heavy industries and strategic railways for national defense. Dr. Sun’s appeal is, therefore, likely to fall on unreceptive ears.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩