Office of the Historian

893.00/8–747: Telegram

The Consul at Shanghai (Meyer) to the Secretary of State

Shanghai, August 7, 1947.
[Received August 7—3:50 a.m.]

1922. Ta Kung Pao August 5 issue gives following summary manifesto passed in closing session by First National Congress of Democratic Socialist Party which met Shanghai July 28 to August 4:

1.
Regarding civil war: We members of Democratic Socialist Party dare remind Government and CP that “war is like fire; if not extinguished [Page 248] it will burn itself out”. Instead of concentrating and wasting energies of the two parties in internal strife why not change picture altogether, lay down all arms, dissolve the armies and combine their efforts for building peaceful unified democratic China?
2.
Enforcing system of democratic constitutional government: The basis of a democratic constitutional government is not a mere paper constitution. For its enforcement there are many requirements, such as sincerity of government. Kmt43 must not rely on its numerical superiority to tamper with or revive constitution at will.
3.
Participation in general election: Negotiations have already been complied [completed?] with Kmt whereby the three parties will participate harmoniously in election so to achieve justice and fairness.
4.
Great political reforms: Kmt must relinquish its special privileges and return to status of ordinary party. Safety of state must not be jeopardized by political disputes. Emphasis should be laid on quality rather than quantity of troops and well educated civilians should be nominated to take charge of Ministry of National Defense. On the financial side, unnecessary expenditures should be curtailed, graft eliminated and revenues increased so as to check inflation. First revenues and expenditures should be balanced and then currency stabilized so as to restore economic activities to normal paths. Powers of Central Government and those of provincial and hsien governments should be strictly defined.
5.
Rationed recreation [National regeneration] by country’s own determined efforts: Prerequisite to regenerate is revival of moral principles, such as the placing of interests of state before those of party and welfare before private aims.

Sent Nanking as 1379, repeated Department.

Meyer
  1. Kuomintang.↩