The Ambassador has the honor to transmit herewith a hectograph copy of
the text, as broadcast by the North Shensi radio station December 24,
1948, of General Lin Piao’s proclamation of December 22 concerning his
army’s administrative policies relating to newly-occupied cities.
It should be noted that the promises of fair treatment to law-abiding
foreign and Chinese residents of occupied cities which are contained in
General Lin Piao’s proclamation have only a short history. As far as
this Embassy is aware, they all flow out of a similar, but less
detailed, proclamation directed at the residents of Tsinan by the
Peopled Liberation Army on September 25, 1948. Similarly, out
[Page 701]
of the Tsinan proclamation
also flow the letters which Communists have recently sent to Chinese and
foreign businessmen in Shanghai and Tsingtao promising them fair
treatment and warning them not to sabotage their properties prior to the
Communist take-over of those cities. The Chinese Communists have given
so much publicity to these proclamations that it is apparent they regard
them as important policy decisions.
In addition to observing that these promises have only a short and
untried history, the Embassy would like to point out that both
proclamations were issued by the People’s Liberation Army. Whether the
governmental and political apparatuses of the Chinese Communists will
show a similar respect for the rights of others yet remains to be seen.
Certainly the meager evidence so far received by the Embassy from Tsinan
and Mukden indicates that the Communist political workers have not
distinguished themselves by their graciousness toward foreigners in
those cities.
[Enclosure]
Chinese Communist Radio Broadcast, December 24,
1948
Peiping–Tientsin Front, Dec.
22—Peiping–Tientsin Front People’s Liberation Army Headquarters
under Commanding-General Lin Piao today issued the following
proclamation:
This Army has orders to annihilate the Kuomintang troops and liberate
Peiping, Tientsin, Tangshan, Kalgan and other cities. This
Headquarters hereby announces the following eight articles to be
observed by all people and the People’s Liberation Army men:
Article 1: The lives and property of all people of these cities will
be protected. It is hoped that all people will maintain order and
continue at their present walks of life. If there are
counter-revolutionary elements or other disruptive elements who took
advantage of the situation to raise disturbances, loot or destroy,
they will be punished without fail when their guilt is
discovered.
Article 2: National industry and commerce will be protected. All
private and government-operated factories, stores, banks, warehouses
etc. will be protected against any encroachment. It is hoped that
workers and employees of all trades will continue production and
that all stores will do business as usual.
Article 3: Bureaucratic capital will be confiscated. All factories,
stores, banks, warehouses, railroad, postal, telegram, telephone,
electric light and water facilities etc. operated by the reactionary
Kmt government will be taken over by the Democratic Government. If
the above mentioned involve private capital, the ownership rights of
the persons concerned will be recognized after investigation has
established
[Page 702]
their claim.
All personnel working in enterprises of bureaucratic capital before
the Democratic Government takes over their enterprises must remain
at their posts as usual. They must furthermore be responsible for
protection of materials, machineries, deeds, charts, accounts and
files, pending inventory and taking over. Those with merit in
protecting materials will be rewarded. Those who sabotage and
disrupt will be punished. Those willing to continue to serve after
the Democratic Government has taken over will be employed in
accordance with their capabilities.
Article 4: Schools, hospitals, cultural and educational institutions,
athletic fields and public buildings will be protected. No one must
damage them. It is hoped that teachers and school employees, and
personnel of cultural, educational, health and other public welfare
institutions remain at their posts as usual. This army will protect
them against any encroachment.
Article 5: No Kmt officials or police personnel of provincial, city,
county or other levels of government institutions, and no district,
townlet, village or Pao-Chia personnel will be taken prisoner or
arrested, unless they offer armed resistance or plot disruptive
activities. The only exception to this is in the case of principal
war criminals and counter-revolutionary elements of heinous
guilt.
The above personnel are enjoined to remain at their posts, obey the
orders of this Army and the Democratic Government and take the
responsibility for protecting all materials, files etc. of the
various institutions pending taking over and disposal. The
Democratic Government will at its discretion employ all these
personnel with any ability, provided that they do not engage in
counter-revolutionary activities and do not commit serious criminal
deeds.
Any of these personnel who take advantage of the situation to
destroy, loot or graft, abscond with public funds, public materials
and documents, or who refuse to turn over the foregoing will be
punished without fail according to due process of law.
Article 6: In order to secure civic and social order, all scattered
arms taken from Kuomintang armies must be given to units of this
army in the vicinity, or to the People’s Army Garrison Headquarters
or Public Safety Bureau. Those who voluntarily give themselves up
and hand over all their arms will not be taken to account. Those who
delay in reporting or who conceal arms will be brought to light and
arrested, and no leniency will be shown them. Those who harbor these
persons and fail to report will also receive due punishment.
Article 7: The security of the lives and property of all foreign
nationals will be protected. All foreign nations must observe the
laws and regulations of this Army and the Democratic Government.
They must not engage in espionage activities. They must not engage
in
[Page 703]
activities against the
Chinese revolutionary cause. They must not harbor war criminals,
counter-revolutionary elements or other criminals. Otherwise, they
will be dealt with according to the laws and regulations of this
Army and the Democratic Government.
Article 8: Both before and after this Army has entered the city, all
city people of all walks of life must bear the responsibility in
common for preserving order throughout the city against any
disruption. All those who help preserve the peace will be rewarded,
and all those who plot to disrupt will be punished.
This Army’s discipline is rigid and clear. This Army practices fair
trading, and does not take so much as a needle or a string from the
people. It is hoped that all people will abide in peace and security
and will not be needlessly alarmed. (Signed) Lin Piao, commander Lo
Jun-huan, political commissar, Peiping–Tientsin Front Headquarters
of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, December 22nd, 1948.
