893.00/3–2849: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai ( Cabot ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 28—5:26 a. m.]
1011. Yesterday Pan Pei-ying, novelist and calligrapher who accompanied Kiang Lung on Shanghai peace mission to Peiping and who will accompany Chang Shih-chao on National peace delegation leaving for Peiping March 31, told two officers this ConGen that members peace delegation must consult with Generalissimo before flying Peiping. (ConGen notes, however, this denied in March 28 press.) Pan stated that composition Communists’ peace delegation was encouraging, as all Communist factions were represented with emphasis on moderate elements (Chou En-lai and Yeh Chien-ying). Pan stated conviction based on his previous Peiping trip that high Communist leaders want peace but may have trouble convincing military and lower echelon Communists who perhaps thirst for revenge. Pan appeared anxious to make point that US should not grant military aid to China at this time, but felt that extension of economic aid O.K.
General tenor of Pan’s remarks is in line with similar statements made us by Chinese all types and various other evidence indicating that overwhelming majority Chinese in this area desire peace and hope that peace talks will not be endangered by any promise of American military aid to “Kuomintang” regime while peace talks in process.
Sent Nanking 596. Repeated Department 1011, Embassy Canton 212.