Dr. Yu’s object in talking with Lieutenant Boatner was to explore the
possibilities which may exist for obtaining from the American Government
for the Chinese Government technical, material and financial assistance
in China’s present military resistance to Japan.
He argued, in effect, that Japan is a potential enemy of the United
States and that it would be to the advantage of the United States to
assist China to prevent Japan from strengthening herself by expansion on
the Asiatic mainland. The same sort of argument was made to one or two
officers of the American Legation last summer by Dr. H. H. Kung,56 who is now on a special mission in the United
States.
I may add that the view seems widely held among Chinese that the alleged
American hegemony of the countries bordering the Pacific Ocean will be
lost if Japan succeeds in gaining a foothold on the continent of Asia.
The corollary to this view is, of course, that the outcome of the
present struggle is as vital to the United States as to China and that
it would be easier and cheaper for the United States to assist China to
frustrate Japan’s expansionist schemes, than to fight Japan later on
when her strength has been immeasurably increased through obtaining
control of the financial and material resources of Manchuria. Some
Chinese explain the lack of response to this reasoning on the part of
the United States by saying that the American people are ignorant in
regard to Asiatic international politics, are preoccupied with economic
difficulties and ambitions, and, rather paradoxically, are characterized
by an idealistic mentality which refuses to recognize and face the
predatory imperialistic ambitions of Japan.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[Enclosure]
Memorandum by the Consul General at Nanking
(Peck)
[Nanking,] January 9, 1933.
Dr. Yu called upon Lt. Boatner on January 8th and stated that he was
the Secretary General of the General Staff of the Chinese Army, and
as such is directly under the orders of General Chiang Kai-shek, who
is Chief of the General Staff.
According to the account of the conversation given to Mr. Peck,
Counselor of the American Legation, by Lt. Boatner on the morning of
January 9th, what follows is the general purport of what was
said:
Dr. Yu observed that it was obvious that Japan is a potential future
enemy of the United States. It is Japan’s object to obtain a
political and military foothold on the Asiatic continent, her
present objective being Manchuria and China. If Japan succeeds in
obtaining this
[Page 41]
foothold on
the mainland, she will be a much more formidable antagonist against
the United States than she would be otherwise.
This being the case it would be to the interests of the United States
to assist China to foil the attempt of Japan to expand on the
continent, rather than to allow Japan to succeed in this
attempt.
What China needs most are expert military advice and war matériel.
Dr. Yu strongly advised that special officers of the American Army
be sent to augment the staff of the American Military Attaché, with
the duty of giving constructive advice to the Chinese high military
command.
Dr. Yu was anxious to learn what the attitude of the American
Government would be toward the supplying of munitions of war and of
raw materials to be used for the manufacture of munitions in China.
He remarked that the Chinese arsenals found it difficult to obtain
adequate supplies of iron, copper, steel etc.
Dr. Yu observed that the expense which would be involved in obtaining
adequate amounts of munitions and of raw material for use in
fighting Japan successfully would be very great and he suggested, in
line with his argument already quoted, that the American Government
might be willing to take measures which would enable the Chinese
Government to acquire munitions and raw materials on credit.
Dr. Yu said that it was no use for the Chinese Government to look to
the German Government for assistance in these matters, in spite of
the fact that the large number of German officers in Nanking seemed
to indicate that there was some kind of rapprochement between the two countries in a military way.
The German Government, in point of fact, constantly hampers the
Chinese Government by making it difficult for China to purchase
military equipment in Germany. All that China can expect from
Germany is the opportunity to hire expert German advisers.
Another country to which China might naturally look for assistance in
opposing Japan’s imperialistic policy is the Soviet Republic. It
would, however, be very dangerous for China to accept assistance
from the Soviet Government. The Communist influence in some
Provinces, e.g., Kiangsi, is so strong that the Chinese Government
is hardly able to eradicate it and the Government’s efforts in this
direction would be made still more difficult if the Government were
to accept assistance from the Soviet Government. China is too weak
to accept great aid from Russia which might place China under the
complete control of bolshevist influence.
Consequently, all the circumstances of the case lead the Chinese
military authorities to look to the American Government for
cooperation through the supply of expert military advisers and
through
[Page 42]
making it possible
for the military branch of the Chinese Government to obtain
munitions and raw materials on credit.
Dr. Yu emphasized that his remarks to Lt. Boatner were made on his
own initiative. He hoped that Lt. Boatner would not report the
conversation they had had until he (Dr. Yu) had had an opportunity
to sound the views of Mr. T. V. Soong, Minister of Finance, and
General Chiang Kai-shek, Chief of the General Staff.
Lt. Boatner was mainly a listener in this conversation. In reply to
direct questions, however, he told Dr. Yu that he thought that the
policy of the American Government was directly opposed to any direct
cooperation with China in China’s controversy with Japan in the form
of sending military advisers, or in the shape of assisting China to
obtain munitions and raw materials on credit. He advised Dr. Yu to
consult Mr. Julean Arnold, American Commercial Attaché, in the
matter of purchasing munitions and raw materials in the United
States, since it was the specific duty of the Commercial Attaché to
promote American trade with China. Lt. Boatner also advised that the
Chinese Government negotiate with commercial firms for the purchase
of its munitions and raw materials. Dr. Yu said that the Chinese
military authorities did not wish to pursue this course, but wanted
to deal with some American governmental department or direct with
manufacturer, with an American military officer participating in all
negotiations.
Dr. Yu explained, rather naively, that General Chiang Kai-shek, did
not want to enter into any negotiations with American authorities
until he had reason to know that such negotiations would succeed,
for fear that failure would play into the hands of his political
enemies. For this reason he insisted that the initiative in the
matter must come from the American Government.
