893.00/3–1247: Telegram

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

535. During evacuation of Communist mediation personnel, 11 American correspondents took the opportunity to fly into Yenan for observations and interviews. Some remained 5 to 6 days while others [Page 61] only stopped overnight. Consensus of opinion of most reliable observers indicates following: Communists definitely not planning to hold their own national assembly, quite understandably since they are bidding for power on national scale and not on sectional basis. Chou En-lai and other leaders took the line that Communists had no time to bother with a Communist assembly since they were engaged in widespread military activities that required their full attention.

Communists firmly confident of their military power and their ability to wage guerrilla warfare that will disrupt Government lines of communications and continue to undermine Government economy with devastating effect. Communists regard this as means by which Government will be forced to its knees and to seek settlement with Communists on Communistic terms.

Full scale evacuation of Yenan well advanced. Women and children almost nonexistent in Yenan and Communists state that all non-essential personnel evacuated. Correspondents estimated approximately 5,000 persons left in Yenan but Communists claim 15,000 still there of city’s former 50,000 population.

Communists insist their two conditions—return to January 13, 1946 military positions and abolition of National Assembly and constitution—are minimum conditions for reopening peace negotiations with Government. However, some correspondents came away feeling that Communists would probably interpret first condition to mean that they retained control of approximately same area of territory, not necessarily exact territory, held at the time of the truce agreement. Others, though, held opinion Communists were determined to hold to their two conditions and would not budge—except upward—from that stand under any circumstances.

Correspondents reported marked increase in bitterness of Communists apparent during week of visits. Leaders castigated Government US and General Marshall. Chou En-lai declared he had private reliable information from United States that $175,000,000 cotton loan, $50,000,000 railroad loan and others all approved and only technicalities holding up actual delivery of cash. Also United States, he stated, was making available arms and ammunition from surplus stocks to Philippine Islands for resale to National Government here. He also declared US Embassy had planned send Military Attaché to Yenan with Communist approval but National Government rejected plan.

Chou En-lai also stated that US airlifted Communists from Government areas back to CCP11a areas to assist Government to get rid of Communists and complete total national split.

Sent Department 535, please repeat to Moscow March 12, 4 p.m.

Stuart
  1. Chinese Communist Party.