893.00/6–1645: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Hurley) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 17—12:49 p.m.]
991. In the view of the Chinese Government the principal achievements of the recently concluded Sixth Kuomintang Congress (Depts 797, May 26, 2 [5] p.m.) are as follows:
- (1)
- All Kuomintang party headquarters in the army will be abolished within 3 months. Similar action will be taken in the schools.
- (2)
- Within 6 months local representation councils will be establislied [Page 414] in all provinces and districts in free China on the basis of popular elections.
- (3)
- A law to give legal status to political parties will be promulgated and the Government hopes that the Communist Party will qualify thereunder. In this connection the Government has reiterated its intention to seek the settlement of the Communist problem through negotiations.
- (4)
- Measures have been decided upon with a view to improving the position of peasant farmers: reduction of rent, questions [of] land tenure and land taxation.
- (4) [5]
- A decision to hold a national assembly was confirmed and it is scheduled to convene on November 12.
- The question of membership in the national assembly will be referred to the People’s Political Council on which it is anticipated that all parties will be represented.
These projects are obviously of first rate importance and while they require implementation, the Government has assured me unequivocally that it will go forward with such implementation. The foregoing is based on facts stated to me directly by the Govt.
The following is based on rumors or reports picked up by members of our Embassy. The other resolutions passed were mostly general in nature, long range and not susceptible of immediate implementation, in which connection the Government press has pointed out that the Congress intended to lay down guiding principles for future legislation—that is, to restate a party platform which would on the one hand assure developments along democratic lines in the future and on the other have a favorable effect on public opinion abroad (especially on the United States).
The Congress itself was the scene of sharp conflict between the various groups within the party and there was considerable outspoken criticism of the Government during the sessions. A development not encouraging to liberal elements was the increase in the power of the C–C clique which gained in strength by about 10 percent mostly at the expense of the Youth Corps, Whampoa, and Chu Chia-hua, the last named obtaining only two seats. C–C is now apparently directly in control of about 40 percent of the CEC72 and the CSC73 and indirectly they have a majority in both committees. Of the 10 CEC members who were not elected, the most prominent were the Gimo,74 Sheng Shih-tsai and Chang Hsueh-liang. As the Gmo is the Tsung-Tsai (leader) of the party, his reelection is not important; Sheng’s failure apparently grew out of a demonstration against him led by members of the Congress who suffered at his hands while he was chairman of Sin-kiang; Chang was still under detention (he was reportedly transferred [Page 415] to the Chungking area at the time of the Jap threat to Kweiyang last November).
An interesting incident during the Congress was the rumor that a proposal was made that the Gmo be made Tsung-Tsai for life. This was said to be opposed and apparently blocked by Sun Fo who argued that, although he personally did not object to the Gmo, to elect him for life would savor of fascism, whereas it would be more democratic to hold elections at intervals.