893.001 Chiang Kai-shek/10–1848
The Ambassador in China ( Stuart ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 29.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the October 10th anniversary speech of General Chiang Kai-shek was in substance a further strong warning to the people of China against the treachery and insidious nature of Communists and an appeal to the people to dedicate themselves to the defeat of the Communist Armies. Its only novelty lay in its admission of mistakes by the governing authority and of personal responsibility for the recent military defeats.
[Page 499]The Generalissimo said that the Communists were a more formidable enemy than any against which the forces of the young Republic had had to fight including the Manchu Regime and the Japanese, since they were not easily distinguished as enemies and as foreigners. The President recalled his earlier prediction this year that by November all Communists south of the Yellow River would have been cleared out, and admitted that now in October the Government had not only failed in its task but had actually lost ground with the capture of Tsinan by the Communist forces. “The loss of Tsinan constitutes a great national misfortune. I feel personally responsible for what has happened.” This prediction of relative success by November had been made, he continued, because, with the inauguration of constitutional rule in China, he had anticipated that the people would rally behind the Government in the campaign against the Communists. He had apparently overlooked, however, the susceptibility of the people to Communist propaganda; the people’s mistaking the Communist rebels as an ordinary international [internal?] disturbance “thinking that after all the Communists are Chinese too and that they, in their own way, also practice democracy and guarantee political freedom”. Consequently, he said, the military campaign against the rebels has not had the benefit of coordinated efforts between the Army and the people of China. For this reason principally, the National forces had suffered many setbacks. Appealing for sacrifice and faith in final victory, the President predicted the failure of the Communists. Their doom he attributed rather un-realistically to their lack of revolutionary spirit, labeling them as opportunists “bent on benefiting themselves at the expense of others”. In memoralizing on the virtues of adversity and the strength acquired by overcoming obstacles, he admitted that during the past six months many weaknesses and shortcomings had been exposed. However, by a policy of careful introspection, leading to a renunciation of carelessness, indolence, lack of organization and defeatism on the part of the Government and the people, they will acquire the strength of spirit which will prevail over the Communists. The Generalissimo continued, in a rather naive vein, that time was working to the advantage of the Nationalists, because Communists’ shortcomings will be more and more exposed and people will be better able to see the rebels in their true light. The President concluded his remarks by repeating in somewhat different phrases his appeal to the Government and the people to concentrate their efforts in the struggle against the Communists.
The following day at a Kuomintang memorial service the Generalissimo again appealed for confidence and faith of the people, particularly the country’s leaders and Kuomintang members. While [Page 500] admitting that the position of the country is serious, he declared that there was no cause for alarm and seriously belabored the press for its contribution to the general confusion and, in certain places, chaotic conditions. He referred specifically to “unrealistic reporting” in northern papers of the Shanghai buying spree and to a similar kind of reporting in Shanghai of runs on commodity stores in the North. In a masterful understatement the President continued—“For the past three months the military developments have not been to our advantage in almost all places”. Surprisingly enough, he laid this to the fact that Army Commanders were not entrusted with full authority, that they were hampered by outside interference in the execution of their missions. He recommended that these Commanders be entrusted with full confidence and not be obstructed by political considerations.
The full text of the Generalissimo’s Double Ten Speech is enclosed77 for the Department’s records.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy
- Not printed.↩