893.50 Recovery/4–1748
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to comment on the Foreign Assistance Act of 1948 as it concerns China, the essential features of which were further clarified in the Department’s telegram no. 519 of April 8, 194899 awaiting me on my return from South China. Needless to say I am delighted with this outcome of the long-drawn-out consideration of this matter. My satisfaction applies not only to the general terms but to the details as well. As I have frequently pointed out to Chinese friends, they should not be so much concerned with the amount of money involved as with the good use to which they put what is made available and the results they can thus obtain. It is this aspect of it that concerns me now while waiting for information as to concrete procedure.
- (1)
- There are two ways in which the Chinese can accept American advisory control. They can regard this as a necessary concession in order to get the material assistance and can more or less perfunctorily comply with our demands. Or they can be made to recognize the good sense of this feature, its practical value, the longer experience or technical [Page 498] attainments we possess, and adopt or adapt our ideas on their own volition because they have been convinced of the superiority of these methods to their own traditional ones. I take it that this latter attitude is the one hoped for in the framing of the Act. It is certainly the one that I shall urge upon the Chinese in every way I can. If the former point-of-view dominates their behavior, when this supply is exhausted they will be back again about where they are now, except that there will be nothing more to hope for from us. By the latter approach, heartily entered upon, they will have had an educational or experimental discipline which can well be of lasting benefit.
- (2)
- There ought in my opinion to be an integration, wherever possible, of Chinese and American agencies. The in many respects unfortunate results of UNRRA and CNRRA1 are perhaps largely due to the existence of the two independent bodies. There were faults on both sides without enough of the corrective influences from mutual exchange of views and closer comradeship. A further lesson from these and other American activities in China is the supreme importance of employing Americans familiar with Chinese life or at least ready to learn how to win the friendship and respect of the Chinese people. It would be helpful to rely largely upon the voluntary agencies long established in this country, understood and trusted by its people.
- (3)
- There is the very real danger that the K. M. T.2 Government rather than the Chinese people will benefit primarily by this generosity of ours. Many intellectuals and other non-partisans would almost prefer that there be no American aid because of fear of this. It is not merely the temptation to graft or to secure selfish advantages by improper means. I am thinking almost more of the narrow, shortsighted outlook of those who would subordinate the nation to the Government or the Party. Their motives may be praiseworthy but their methods might well defeat our purpose and even their own real objectives. They must excel the Communists in getting down to the “grass-roots” as they never have before. They must win the people before they can win the war. But unless we constantly urge this upon them I fear that even the best among them are too harassed, too fixed in their habits and inherited patterns, to do so on their own initiative.
- (4)
- This emphasis on the people can give a better orientation to the military aims of the Government. These could be regarded as not so much to slaughter Communists as to bring peace and economic recovery to at least a portion of the long-suffering population by containing the Communists beyond a certain border until they are ready for a negotiated peace or the Government becomes strong enough militarily and in popular support to liquidate their armed resistance. This requires of course radical reforms, especially in local administration and in military discipline.
- (6)
- The item for Rural Reconstruction is especially gratifying to me because it seems to go to the very heart or the issue. I assume that this has special reference to the activities of Dr. James Yen. My personal desire would be that this be centered upon training for the rights and duties of citizenship, for organizing against every form of oppression or misrule, for understanding the difference between [Page 499] democracy and dictatorship whether Communist or K. M. T. Along with this there should of course be technical assistance in agriculture, public health, communications, etc. I have no question but that students can be enlisted to carry this message to the rural districts all over the country and their employment in a constructive, patriotic campaign ought to be one of the useful by-products. The committee of three Chinese and two Americans is an illustration of the principle advocated in (2) above.
These comments all have to do with the spirit animating the American assistance and the Chinese acceptance of it. But this is an essential feature in achieving what we have in mind. This is to help China toward peace, economic recovery and true democracy and to strengthen the friendly relations between our two countries as an important element in international stability. The K. M. T. Government is the only vehicle through which we can undertake this. It has been rapidly losing the confidence of its own people. The great majority of them, however, do not want Communism or turn to it only in desperation. The present disastrous trend can only be reversed by the interaction of military, economic and moral or human factors, all of which must be radically changed for the better. For this reason, as I have often argued before, they need our advice in order to enable them to benefit by the material assistance. They are also becoming somewhat more aware of this themselves. I am still hoping that John Blandford and the sort of specialists he would select can form a civilian advisory group.
It adds a dramatic interest to the American assistance that it is becoming effective while the National Assembly is in the process of electing the first President and Vice President under the new Constitution.
Respectfully yours,