893.001 Chiang Kai-shek/8–1049: Airgram
The Chargé in China (Clark) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 24—5:11 p. m.]
A–45. In a recent conversation with one of the FS Officers in Canton, Shih Chao-ying, Director of Information, Chinese Foreign Office, made certain revealing observations about Generalissimo Chiang.
[Page 480]One of the leading reasons for the failure of the Gimo’s administration, Mr. Shih declared, was the fact that the former had been very badly advised on several vital questions. He mentioned particularly General Chiang’s preoccupation with the imminence of a war between United States and the Soviet Union and attributed much of this bemusement to the bad advice of Wang Shih-chieh, former Foreign Minister and at present a member of the Gimo’s retinue.
When in Nanking, as Director of Information, Mr. Shih always attended the weekly Wednesday meetings at which the Gimo reviewed general policy and current developments. On one occasion, General Chiang predicted that a USA–USSR war would break out within 18 months and on another occasion (at the time of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections in the spring of 1948) he became angry about something and asserted that within 1 year such a war would begin. From Mr. Shih’s remarks, I inferred that the Gimo, because of his misconceptions on this subject, had taken ill-advised action (or had refrained from needed action) in other fields.
The Gimo, according to Mr. Shih, attributed the shortcomings of his Government, in large measure, to lack of discipline in the Kuomintang (the Gimo, as Director-General, and the Central Executive Committee would not enforce implementation of their decisions on the lower levels of Party leadership) and to inadequate preparation (especially in the case of local governmental units) for the introduction of democratic government.
However, disclaiming that he is a supporter of General Chiang and stating that he has never joined the Kuomintang, Mr. Shih believes that the Gimo, with all his failings, is still the only leader in the Kmt with great enough personal prestige and authority to silence its disputing factions. It seems that after the Gimo has spoken, further discussion is unnecessary.