893.00/12–2848: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 28—11:40 a. m.]
2638. Vice President was not among those who called on Generalissimo Sunday night as reported my 2628, December 27, although conference did take place with other four. According to our information Generalissimo prefers not to see Li Tsung-jen until procedure for his retirement has been worked out. Sunday night’s conference resulted in the four carrying message from Generalissimo to Li describing military reversals etc. as reasons why he wished to retire and looked to Vice President to carry on. Li was authorized in message to do whatever seemed to him best for country.
On basis of this message Vice President conferred Monday morning with Chang Chun, Chang Chih-chung and Generalissimo’s new secretary, Wu Chung-hsin, to work out concrete details which are briefly as follows:
- 1.
- Generalissimo will issue proclamation to effect that, although he is aware of grievous sufferings of Chinese people, he cannot compromise with Communists because he has no confidence in their sincerity; that he is therefore resigning in favor of Vice President who will be free to make his own decisions.
- 2.
- Li will then issue open proposal to Communist leader Mao Tse-tung for cease-fire order and resumption of peace talks together with declaration of policy of Kmt Government. The negotiators, except Li, saw Generalissimo last evening and with his approval are this morning (Tuesday) drafting text of his proclamation to be published as soon as possible. If Communists reject armistice proposal, Li will appeal to Big Four nations to mediate.
We are forced to give credence to reports of these surprising developments because of obvious difficulties in arriving at agreed draft [Page 691] of two such important proclamations and uncertainty as to degree of finality of Generalissimo’s decision. Our first thoughts are that such proclamation will have disastrous effect on whatever fighting spirit may still exist in Nationalist troops on North and Central China fronts; that Communists because of their military position will be intransigent and that Nationalist Government will find itself without its symbol of resistance in person of Generalissimo and incapable of regrouping Nationalists’ forces for continued resistance following open peace move and anticipated Communist rejection thereof.