893.00/2–2645: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:27 p.m.]
301. Since the conclusion of the negotiations with the Communists there has been a growing impression among observers here that for various reasons the Generalissimo has greatly stiffened his attitude toward the Communists and toward the continuing faint hopes held by some liberals that a settlement might still eventually be possible.
For example, I am informed by high authority that at a recent meeting of the State Council (a nominal organization which rarely meets) Tsou Lu, old Cantonese revolutionary and party elder, asked for information in regard to the status of the question, mentioned that China should have a united front to present at the security conference12 because the question of China’s unity might be raised there and said that he had heard that Chou En-lai had telegraphed a demand [Page 240] to General Hurley asking the Communists be represented at the conference. The Generalissimo, who had previously stated he had nothing to report to the Council, became enraged and delivered a stinging reprimand to Tsou, made a clear but indirect attack upon Sun Fo for the latter’s recent public utterances and damned the liberals generally. He said that General Hurley had received such a telegram from Chou and had replied that the conference was a conference of governments and that only government delegations would be present.… He said that, if any other government brought up any question at the conference in regard to China’s internal politics, China would withdraw from the conference. When delivering his rebukes and discussing the Communists, his face was red with anger and his voice and hands shook. When he finished his frightened audience remained completely silent and he adjourned the meeting, reportedly the first in over a year.
According to my informant, who was present on both occasions, some discussions of Sino-Russian relations came up at a recent small private dinner at the Generalissimo’s. The Generalissimo indicated his belief that there was Soviet influence behind both the revolt in Sinkiang and the Communists’ “intransigence”. He said that if the Soviets contend that the Sinkiang trouble is racial in character it indicates clearly that they are behind the trouble. When one of his guests remarked upon the dangers of Soviet-Chinese Communist cooperation in the event Russia should enter the war against Japan, the Generalissimo said there was nothing to worry about as he was going to “liquidate” the Communists. My informant states that Chiang did not explain how this was to be done but turned to another subject.
- United Nations Conference at San Francisco.↩