893.00/6–2845
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Chinese
Affairs (Vincent) to the Under Secretary of
State (Grew)
[Washington,] June 28, 1945.
Chiang’s “outburst” to the press this morning (UP report attached) is
difficult to explain. With regard to economic support, tonnage “over the
Hump” has trebled in the last year, we have instigated the establishment of
a Chinese WPB, we seem to have sent out experts by the dozen, T. V. Soong
only recently obtained our agreement to supply China with $200,000,000 in
gold bullion, and we are literally scraping the bucket to get the trucks and
textiles Soong asked for.
With regard to military support General Wedemeyer is now training and
equiping close to forty divisions which should constitute soon the first
Chinese army with an offensive potential that has existed in China since
1937.
Chiang refers to the necessity for landing on the China coast. This is
strictly a matter of military strategy. However, his comment, I believe,
gives one clue with regard to his motive in making a press statement. It is
probable that T. V. Soong has reported to him his suspicions that there will
be no China coast landings, at least for some time. Chiang had counted on
such landings not only to bolster up his military position but also as a
means of opening up new avenues for bringing economic aid to China. Hence
his “outburst” may derive from disappointment, if my deduction is
correct.
J[ohn] C[arter]
V[incent]
[Annex]
Chungking—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in his
first press conference since 1941, said the U. S. was not giving China
enough economic help.
[Page 124]
Chiang also said that a Chinese soldier, given training and equipment,
can fight as well as any three soldiers from abroad, and that if it took
foreign soldiers two years to defeat Japan, Chinese troops could do it
in one year.
The Generalissimo complained that the U. S. had not paid enough attention
to China’s economic difficulties. He said that he enjoyed the military
and diplomatic cooperation of Lt. Gen. Wedemeyer, American commander in
China, but he urged that more American economic experts be sent to
China.
The United States is giving us assistance, equipment and training as to
troops, said Chiang, but not adequate attention to our economic
difficulties, and not adequate assistance to relieve them. If the
economic situation is not improved, it will be difficult to make full
use of the military equipment.
Speaking of cooperation shown by American Ambassador Hurley and
Wedemeyer, Chiang said:
“It is the first time in entire Chinese-American history that action and
cooperation have been so satisfactory.”
The Generalissimo urged that the Allies make greater use of Chinese
forces. He pointed out it was more economical to train and equip Chinese
troops to fight the Japanese on the China mainland than to send troops
here from abroad.
Asked what he thought about Japan’s collapse, Chiang said, “It would be
difficult to bring about the unconditional surrender of Japan, therefore
the war can end only with the total defeat of Japan.[”]
Chiang said he believed a landing on the China Coast would be necessary
even if there was a landing on the Japanese mainland. He said the
800,000 Chinese puppet troops fighting under the Japanese might join the
Allies in the event of a China invasion.
