893.00/4–946: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Smyth) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:40 p.m.]
646. Developments in Manchuria held first place in Yenan broadcasts for week ending April 5. One report announced that Liaoning [Page 747] local democratic govts had eliminated 25,000 bandits, puppets and Japanese up to middle Feb. Another report charged Kmt troops were conducting large-scale military operations against Manchurian democratic joint army along Changchun railroad north and south of Mukden and alleged that Kmt secret police have clamped gestapo rule over Mukden. One item protested continued movement of Kmt troops into Manchuria for civil war purposes, alleging violation of military agreement which provided for 5 Kmt armies, whereas there are already 6 in Manchuria, with fighting going on in 4 different sectors. It is alleged that bandits along river north Manchuria have been eliminated by Communist-led people’s self defense army, formerly known as Tung Pei volunteers. Another broadcast protested commissioning of Chiang Peng-fei as high Central Govt, official in Manchuria because even before Mukden incident96 he was Japanese running-dog and his troops are now attacking popular local forces.
Item quoted New China News Agency rebuttal on National Military Council denial of new Fourth Army Fifth Division being blockaded and starved north of Hankow. Agency release alleged Communists obey truce agreement which Kmt consistently violates. Another military item charged Kmt with violating military agreement by putting all demobilized officers into Govt. police force which is being used against Communists. Numerous instances cited to prove puppet military and civilian officials are still in power throughout central China.
One broadcast carried protest of border region govt. against Govt. plan to change Yellow River course back to old bed since this will cause suffering to people, mostly Communists, now living in old bed. Implementation of plan would flood 866 villages, 200,000 houses, 181,000 acres of land, and make 380,000 people homeless in four counties alone.
Other items charged that PPC sessions have shown Kmt corruption and continued power of CC clique therein. One broadcast attacked exploitation of Shantung salt workers in Govt. a condition now remedied since Communists have taken over industry. Another broadcast announced convocation of Third People’s Congress of Shensi–Kansu–Ninghsia border region on April 2 in Yenan at which General Chu Teh97 said that despite blockade of reactionaries border region has notable record of achievement and warned people to be alert to efforts of reactionaries to sabotage PCC agreements in order to preserve their own power. He also stated that 8 years of border [Page 748] region administration have laid down democratic tradition of responsiveness to interests of all groups and classes.
- September 18, 1931; Foreign Relations, 1931, vol. iii, p. 10.↩
- Senior Chinese Communist army commander.↩