893.01/12–3048

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

No. 524

The Ambassador has the honor to enclose for the Department’s information an Associated Press despatch datelined San Francisco, December 25, which includes a list of Chinese Nationalist Government officials who have been placed on a so-called “Communist blacklist”. This report is based on a radio broadcast transmitted on the night of December 24 from Communist-occupied China. It is understood that considerable “jamming” prevented reception in the free China area.

The list has been rearranged in alphabetical order for reference purposes, otherwise the despatch reads as it appeared in the Shanghai English language press.

[Enclosure]

Associated Press Despatch in Shanghai Press

Chinese Reds Broadcast Blacklist of Officials

San Francisco, Dec. 25 (AP)

“The Chinese Communist radio broadcast today a list of Chinese government officials and military men who, it said, are ‘war criminals well-known for their heinous crimes, who, all Chinese agree, should receive the just penalty’.

“Heading the list was Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Mme. Chiang was also listed under her maiden name, Soong Mei-ling.

“Most of the names were not surprising but the list included Vice President Li Tsung-jen, who has been mentioned in China speculation [Page 719] as a possible peace negotiator, and former Premier Chang Chun, also mentioned as a peace advocate.

“Mayor K. C. Wu of Shanghai was also on the Communist ‘blacklist’.

“The ‘just penalty’ was not described in the broadcast, heard here by the Associated Press.

complete list of names

  • Chang, Carson, leader of the minority Democratic Socialist party.
  • Ch’ang, Ch’un, former Premier.
  • Chang Li-sheng, former Vice Premier and director of an economic blockade against the Communists.
  • Ch’en, Ch’eng (Gen.) former chief of staff.
  • Ch’en Kuo-fu, leader of extreme rightest clique in the government.
  • Ch’en, Li-fu, leader of extreme rightest clique in the government.
  • Ch’eng Ch’ien, long-time government official and unsuccessful candidate for vice president last spring.
  • Chiang, Kai-shek.
  • Chou, Chih-jou, air force commander.
  • Chu, Chia-hua, former education minister.
  • Fu, Tso-yi (Gen.), North China commander.
  • Ho Ying-ch’in, former defence minister.
  • Hsiung, Shih-hui (Gen.), Chiang’s personal representative at Peiping headquarters.
  • Hsueh, Yueh (Gen.), former director of military affairs.
  • Hu, Tsung-nan (Gen.), who captured and then lost the Communist capital of Yenan.
  • Koo, Wellington, ambassador to Washington.
  • Ku Chu-t’ung, army commander in chief.
  • Kuei, Yung-ch’ing (Adm.), navy commander.
  • Kung, H. H., former premier and brother-in-law of the Generalissimo.
  • Li, Tsung-jen.
  • Liu, Shih (Gen.), commander on the north front of Nanking.
  • Ma, Hung-k’uei, independent governor of Ningsia province.
  • Pai, Ch’ung-hsi, (Gen.), defence minister formerly.
  • Soong, Mei-ling (Mme. Chiang).
  • Soong, T. V., former premier and brother-in-law of the Generalissimo.
  • Sun, Fo, Premier.
  • Sun, Li-jen (Gen.), head of the government army school on Taiwan.
  • Tai, Ch’uan-hsien, Kuomintang Central Executive Committee member.
  • T’ang, En-po (Gen.), commander of the Nanking defences.
  • T’ao, Hsi-sheng, former Kuomintang official who aided but then broke with the Japanese puppet regime during the Japanese war.
  • Tseng, Ch’i, leader of the minority Young China party.
  • Tu, Yu-ming (Gen.), commander of the government army groups now surrounded by the Communists near Hsuchow.
  • Wang, Hsu-ming, Vice Commander of Nationalist Air Force.
  • Wang, Shih-chieh, recently foreign minister.
  • Wang, Yun-wu, former deputy premier and former finance minister.
  • Wei, Li-huang, who finally lost Manchuria to the Reds last month.
  • Weng, Wen-hao, former Premier.
  • Wu, Kuo-ch’en, Mayor of Shanghai.
  • Wu, T’ieh-ch’eng, new vice premier, foreign minister and longtime secretary general of the Kuomintang.
  • Wu, Ting-ch’ang, longtime member of various cabinets and anti-Communist pacification commissioner’ in Yunnan and Kweichow provinces.
  • Yen, Hsi-shan, ‘last of the warlords’ and governor of Shansi province.
  • Yu, Han-mou, head of Chiang’s land forces.

definition of ‘war criminal’

“The Communist radio attributed this list to ‘an authoritative personage’ at Communist headquarters in Shensi province but reiterated that it was ‘incomplete and that a fuller list would have to be worked out by all circles throughout the country’.

“The first say on war criminals, it added, should be given to the Communist army.

“For example, it cited Gen. Huang Wei, commander of the 12th army group, ‘whose use of poison gas in battle fully qualifies him as a war criminal’.

“The Communists early in the week reported that they had destroyed Huang’s group but what happened to Huang is not clear. The poison gas charge is an old one, bandied back and forth by both sides but never substantiated by either.

fu in same grade as chiang

“The broadcast went on to denounce Gen. Fu Tso-yi in the bitterest terms saying that he ‘is a public enemy’ who had ‘butchered the people like cattle’ and ‘a first class war criminal like Chiang’ and half a dozen other generals of the above list whose names were repeated.

“The broadcast again threatened ‘punishment’ without specifying its nature but said Fu could lessen his ‘crimes’ if he would immediately surrender Peiping and Tientsin.”