121.893/1–1748: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State

86. Reports have now been received on press reaction to the statement and new appointment of General Marshall from those areas not covered in previous Embassy telegrams. The similarity of this additional comment to that already reported is rather striking.

In brief, it has tended to be on General Marshall’s designation as Secretary of State and to approve that designation, at the same time expressing gratitude of China for his efforts in the interest of China’s peace. This applies to the independent, liberal and left wing (with the exception of the Communists) press, as well as Government and party. All these papers, in expressing approval, are at some pains to point out that if there is still civil war and disunity in China the fault is not that of General Marshall, but of circumstances, the Government, the reactionaries or the Communists—depending upon the politics of the writer. Nowhere in National Government areas has there been more than cautious and indirect references to the statement.

As [A?] statement came from the Gmo but even he confirmed [confined?] himself to expressing his confidence in the integrity and good intentions of the statement and to saying there were certain points with which he did not agree.

Official Communist reaction was the speech by General Chou En-lai on January 10.5 Although most of his assertions do not correspond to the truth, still he leaves very little doubt as to where he stands.

Government and party press have remained largely non-committal. Presumably specific reaction will not come until the official line has been laid down. Far less easy to explain is the silence of independent and influential papers such as Ta Kung Pao and Hsin Min Pao which have seldom been known to lose an occasion for jumping on the Government.

[Here follow quotations from press comment.]

Stuart
  1. See United States Relations With China, p. 706.