893.00/7–745
The Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Rice) to the Ambassador in China (Hurley)85
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my despatch no. 234, July 7 [6], 194586 on the subject of the visit to Sian made from July 1 to July 4, 1945 by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and to report as follows remarks in regard to the Chinese Communists which he made in the course of an interview granted here to a visiting group of American newspaper correspondents. (These remarks, made “off the record”, were repeated to me in about the same form by two different persons who were present.)
In the course of the above-mentioned interview, which otherwise was principally devoted to generalities, one of the correspondents asked the Generalissimo if he had any comment to make on prospects for Chinese unity. He replied that China already is united. He then was asked, “But what about the Chinese Communists?” To this he is stated to have replied that the Communists are not Chinese. He explained that they do not follow the orders of the Chinese Government or obey its laws and so cannot be considered Chinese. The Generalissimo, it would appear, considers that the Communists are not merely prodigal sons who may some day return to the Chinese family home, but rather are sons who have been disowned by the rest of the family and no longer would be welcomed back.
The Communists themselves, according to Central Government officials in this area, have cut; loose from participation in affairs of the Central Government. A responsible official at Sian is reliably quoted as saying that they plan themselves to call a People’s Congress [Page 430] in competition with that to be convened by the Chungking authorities. Moreover, he is quoted as stating, they have caused additional uneasiness by setting the date for its convening ahead from November 12 to October 10, 1945. (Assumably they wish to steal the Central Government’s thunder.)
Respectfully yours,