893.00/8–2146: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 23—8:50 a.m.]
1343. Strongest anti-American [and] anti-Marshall attack to date, contained in Emancipation Daily editorial, was highlight of Yenan broadcasts for week ending August 17. (See summary Embtel 1323 [1322?], August 15, [of] editorial, which [appeared] following joint Marshall–Stuart statement was published in full.) Previous comment on joint statement charged “— failure of Marshall and Stuart is but outcome of erroneous US Govt policy of backing Chiang Kai-shek”. Anping incident continuing to maintain considerable attention with Communists alleging emphatically they had requested immediate investigation by Executive Hqs which stalled for 8 days before sending out field team, which delay they charge “is designed for purpose of manufacturing favorable evidence.” This is, of course, a blatant reallocation of blame from the Communists who deliberately caused [delay] by every means to Executive Hqs which strove by every means to accelerate action. Leading professor of Chungshan University quoted as stating incident could be solved satisfactorily if the US would regard Chinese as having national respect. “Previous incursions of Marines according to international law and law of any [Page 60] country would be obvious violation of national sovereignty, but because of peculiar disrespect for Chinese sovereignty, US Marine authorities think otherwise.”
New China News Agency correspondent’s comment on Chiang Kai-shek’s V–J Day speech said “message to countrymen reads like speech of shark smacking his lips at his victim behind benevolent phrases”, and later “what Chiang means in nutshell is ‘countrymen, prepare for slaughter–it is all for your own good’.”
Chinese Air Force Day marked in Yenan by appeal from Captain Jin and crew of National Air Force B–24 bomber, who deserted to Communist Army, to their “brothers in arms” in Chinese Air Force to stay out of civil war.
Sole item reporting fighting claimed two Kmt divisions wiped out northeast of Jukao. Other items reported repair work on dykes in north Kiangsu, bombing and strafing in Shantung by Chinese Air Force, text of telegram sent to CIO and AFL77 leaders by trade unions of Shansi–Chahar–Hopei border region to halt intervention policy of American reactionaries, and rapid reconversion measure taken in Kalgan.
Dept please repeat to Moscow.
- Congress of Industrial Organizations and American Federation of Labor, respectively.↩