893.00/7–248
The Consul General at Peiping (Clubb) to the Secretary of State 66
[Received July 7.]
Subject: Opposition Political Movements in China.
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my recent despatch from Peiping67 reporting information obtained confidentially from General Hsu [Page 335] Ch’eng-chia In regard to a dissident political movement reputedly now developing within the Nationalist camp in China, and to enclose as pertinent In this general connection a copy (in English translation) of a lithographed document68 received from General Hsu on June 19 purporting to set forth in outline form the organization of the movement.
It has been noted before that General Hsu reported that there were only four persons (presumably in the Nationalist camp) who knew of the movement. He informed me at Shanghai that those four persons were Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, General Tu Yü-ming,69 Yü Chi-shih,70 and himself. He said that his name appeared on the list of the dissidents because he was the Government’s agent in the enemy camp. As reported before in this general connection, General Hsu’s connections with the Northern generals, and with persons apparently in the Li Tsung-jen camp, are outwardly close. General Hsu accompanied me to Shanghai for the express purpose (he said) of getting the document to me before my departure for the United States after an attempt of a few days earlier to obtain it from its Nanking custodian, K’ung Hsiang-li, had failed because of K’ung’s absence from the city. General Hsu’s particular purpose of giving me this information does not appear entirely clear if he is as stated in the Nationalist camp but his move would perhaps have some meaning if he were, as outward appearances would indicate, himself in the opposition camp. General Hsü has indicated that, depending upon future developments, he may communicate further information by delivery to the Consulate General at Peiping of a communication for forwarding to me at Washington by confidential means. Such later information would presumably throw further light on the movement and its development. It will of course be appreciated that, in any event, General Hsü’s communications thus far to me have been on a strictly confidential level and that his identity should not be revealed, as source of that information, to either the Government or Opposition side.
The enclosed document depicts a movement which is well organized and obviously well past the initial stages of development. General Hsü stated, in response to my question, that the schedule for the further development of autonomous political groups in five different areas of China, starting with Manchuria and proceeding through North China, the Northwest, the Southwest, the Southeast and ending up on the Central Plain (that is, right at the heart of the National [Page 336] Government’s power), was already in progress. There are certain elements in the picture which remain difficult to understand, but the form of the whole seems to be becoming clearer. It is not apparent at first sight, for instance, why the “International Communist” Li Li-san should be classified as a member of a so-called “Reform Group” of the Chinese Communist Party. It is perhaps appropriate to note in this connection, however, that Li Li-san is known to adhere closely to “the Moscow line”; and it is perhaps of further interest to note that Soviet consular officials in Peiping in recent conversations have stressed even more than previously in the past few months their purported belief that China should cease its civil strife and have a “coalition government”, that is, one including the Chinese Communists. It is true that this suggestion may be only a red herring, but it may equally well represent a dominant realization on the Communist side that the Chinese Communists, for all their military victories in the field, would find their interests best served by gaining a breathing spell, in the form of a truce in the present fighting, in which to consolidate their gains and at the same time endeavor to further by political means their program for achievement ultimately of political control over all of China. That the Chinese Communists find themselves confronted by serious political and economic problems has been suggested in previous despatches from Peiping: in those circumstances, the Communists, even as many in the Nationalist camp, might conceive of a politico-military truce as offering a chance for relief from some of their present burdens.
Immediately before my departure from Peiping, I was informed by Dr. Joshua Mingchien Bau, whose views I recently communicated to the Department, that all indications were that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek was committed categorically and irrevocably to continuing with the civil war; therefore, Dr. Bau said, there seemed to be no hope that the “peace movement” of which he had previously informed me could go any farther.
Respectfully yours,