893.00/6–1147: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 11—4:50 a.m.]
1258. At a memorial service held at the Central Kuomintang headquarters on June 9 President Chiang Kai-shek made the following statement on the way in which the Government had dealt with the recent student movement:
“At the beginning of the recent student movement, most schools, especially those in Shanghai, were in a state of study. The effect on social order was profound and far-reaching. In spite of the Government’s persuasion the movement went on unabated. In order to preserve the vitality of the nation and to enable most young men to continue their studies, the State Council promulgated emergency measures for the maintenance of social order. The Government is bound in duty to ensure social order and the safety of the people, and it has to take proper action wherever social order is disturbed and public safety is threatened. This is true of every modern government in the world. During the movement most students were innocent and unwilling to give up a chance to study.
Evidence has shown that it was only a small number of Communist schemers who exploited the situation. In spite of the promulgation of the emergency measures, the Government still tried to serve the interests of the young students and to refrain from taking police action. The school authorities were asked to enlighten the students and hand over Communist elements. This principle was followed consistently by the Government in dealing with the student movement.
The situation, however, was different in Shanghai, where the Communists tried to instigate not only the student strike but also a general strike of clerks and industrial workers. More than that, they tried even to incite the police and gendarmes to take part in their violence. To prevent such a plot from materializing, the Government empowered the Shanghai authorities to take drastic measures. In places where the situation was not so serious the measures adopted were moderate in nature, with the result that very few accidents happened. Owing to the supervision of the school authorities and the sagacity of the students, the Peiping and Tientsin schools soon resumed classes.
It was only in Wuhan University that casualties happened when the police and gendarmes went there to search for Communists. This was really an unlucky incident. I have had a great admiration for the discipline of the university. The Wuhan authorities exceeded [Page 177] Government orders in sending armed forces to the university and the students killed were not Communist agitators. On the basis of the report of the Ministry of Education, the Government is of the opinion that the Wuhan garrison command should be held responsible. Among the punishments meted out to those concerned is the dismissal of garrison commander Peng Shan.
Most schools have now reverted to normal conditions. It is a great pity in the educational world that a few schools in Shanghai have not yet resumed classes and that even some teachers insist on continuing their strike. To respect the teacher has been our educational principle. The Government will grant the teachers’ reasonable requests. But it is really shirking their responsibility for national education and the upbringing of young men for the teachers to go on strike. If schools do not resume classes, school discipline will go from bad to worse. What a great loss the nation will suffer! The Ministry of Education should take prompt action.
In a word, the principle followed by the Government in dealing with the student movement was to fulfill its duty and distinguish between right and wrong, so that the Communists might not incite young men and disturb social order in the name of democracy and liberty. The various local authorities, if they have performed their duties faithfully, will be protected, but those who exceed orders will be punished. It must be realized that the recent student movement has exhausted a great part of the nation’s vitality. It is hoped that the educational authorities will immediately restore school order so that the students may continue their studies.”