893.00/6–547: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 6—2 p.m.]
1221. Following is Mukden’s 132 of May 31, 4 p.m.:
“Central News Agency despatch dated May 29 states Nationalists and Communists fighting inside Meihokou. Communists occupy east half city and have thrown two more brigades into battle. Changchun, Kirin and Ssupingkai sectors quiet. Ho Ping Jih paper states Communist Fifth and Sixth Divisions penetrated Changtu area May 28 and indications are Communists going to launch all-out attack on Changtu. Fighting past [last] week FIC abated [indicated] Communists employing usual tactics of striking and moving thus keeping Nationalist troops constantly off balance (reContel 129 to Embassy repeated Department as 76, May 2844). Appeared Communists were able to take Changchun if desired to pay cost. Rather than take cities, Communists hit where Nationalists weakest, disrupted communications, captured needed equipment and then when Nationalist reinforcements brought their strength to par with Communists, Communists broke off engagement and struck at another weak point.
While Communists’ military accomplishments do not appear great during past 2 weeks, believed their offensive has seriously bothered Nationalists through loss of equipment, lowering of morale, heavy losses in men, disruption lines communications, which, because replacement material shortage constantly becomes more serious, tiring of Nationalist troops by causing them to be constantly shifted from one front to another and constant wear on American supplied trucks and planes.
[Page 168]Well-informed Chinese source states that primary current objective of Communists has been removal Nationalist grain stores and that their success in removing large stores along trunk lines south of Changchun (especially Kungchuling) has been serious loss for Nationalists, making that section deficit instead surplus area. We anticipate Communists will maintain present large scale harassing tactics until they feel they have great preponderance strength, then Communists will attempt take and hold specific localities. Although military sources through press dispatches have been minimizing Communists’ accomplishments in the past several weeks, serious loss with which Nationalists view situation Manchuria actually very obvious. Substantiation this was arrival in Mukden Generalissimo May 30. Ward.”
Sent Nanking, repeated Shanghai and Chungchun.
- Not printed.↩