File No. 893.00/2960
Certain members of the local Parliament are constantly agitating the
question of intervention by the President of the United States.
Intervention would be better than arbitration they contend as the
consent of the North need not be sought for in that eventuality.
Practically all of the local dignitaries favor arbitration by the
President of the United States, and it is reported it is quite
likely that a telegram will be dispatched to the United States
Congress requesting that body to recommend such action.
[Enclosure]
The Canton
Parliament to the Congress of
the United States
Canton, China
[, undated].
The Presiding Officers and Members of the
Congress,
Washington.
It is with gratitude that the people of China have learned that
the five associated powers of France, Great Britain, Italy,
Japan and the United States, have, by their memorandum recently
presented to the Government at Peking and the
Constitutionalists’ Government at Canton, expressed their hope
for an early settlement of the internal strife in our country.
The impartial attitude of the associated powers toward the two
contending parties is well manifested in the memorandum in which
it was stated that they have in contemplation no ulterior plan
of intervention and no desire to control or influence particular
terms of adjustment which must remain for Chinese themselves to
arrange. The Constitutionalists’ Government at Canton has now
entered peace negotiations with the military leaders of the
North, for, as stated in the memorandum, the unhappy division of
the country has proved not only disastrous to the welfare of
China itself, but it also makes more difficult the great task of
world reconstruction. However, we must make it clear to the
Government and people of your country that our present civil
strife is the legal against the illegal and the right against
the wrong. It is intolerable that the supreme law of the land is
being so wilfully violated by a handful of militarists, whose
ulterior object is to enforce despotism by means of militarism.
The sole object of the Constitutionalists is nothing but
devotion to the interests of the Chinese people and for securing
a peace upon the basis of law, and there is not the least
personal sentiment or contention merely for the sake of legal
technicality. The Republic of China is existing upon the
Provisional Constitution, from which the National Assembly
derives its authority, and it was for the upholding of this
Provisional Constitution the Constitutionalists have taken up
arms against the militarists.
It will be remembered that when Yuan Shih-k’ai declared himself
Emperor, the Provisional Constitution had been for the first
time violated and the National Assembly by force dissolved, and
when the monarchial restoration movement instigated by the
militarists broke out, then it was for the second time [that]
the Provisional Constitution [was] violated and the National
Assembly dissolved. It was the militarists and the bureaucratic
class who were directly responsible for all these law-breaking
movements. [That] the Northern militarists
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are not to be trusted is again
proved by the fact that since an armistice has been recently
declared, the Peking authority has continued sending troops to
attack the Constitutionalist force in the Provinces of Shensi
and Fukien, under the pretext of suppressing the bandits. The
Northern leader, Ch’ien Neng-Hsün, even admitted dispatching
troops to Shensi under the command of Hsü Lanchow, and troops to
Fukien under the command of Wan Yung-chuen, after the
declaration of armistice. Seeing that the militarists are not to
be trusted even on their solemn oath, the people of China
realize more and more that the object of the Constitutionalists’
movement for securing a permanent peace and restoring the effect
of law is the only solution of the national issue now at stake.
But, unless the National Assembly is assured perfect freedom to
exercise its legitimate functions, there is no hope for
restoring the effect of law, and unless the law is enforced
there is no hope for permanent peace, and it is for upholding
the law, the people of China have been struggling under the most
difficult circumstances. Knowing that your country is always
ready to uphold the right, as such spirit has been well
manifested through your friendly memorandum, we, therefore,
desire to make it clear to you the real cause of our present
strife.
On behalf of the National Assembly of the Republic of China.
Lin Sun
President of the Senate
Wu Ching-lien
Speaker of the House of Representatives
