793.94/17001⅘
Dr. T. V. Soong, of
China Defense Supplies, Inc., to the Secretary of War
(Stimson)93
Washington, November 25,
1941.
Dear Mr. Secretary: I am in receipt of a
telegram from General Chiang Kai-shek, copy of which please find
enclosed. I shall be grateful if you could see me to discuss the
message, or otherwise let me know if you have any reply to give to
General Chiang.
With kind regards [etc.]
[Enclosure]
Telegram From General Chiang Kai-shek to Dr. T. V.
Soong Dated Chungking, November 25,
1941
I presume Ambassador Hu Shih has given you a copy of my telegram
yesterday. Please convey contents of the message to Secretaries Knox
and Stimson immediately.
Please explain to them the gravity of the situation. If America
should relax the economic blockade and freezing of Japanese assets,
or even if reports that the United States is considering this should
gain currency, the morale of our troops will be sorely shaken.
During the past two months the Japanese propaganda have spread the
belief that in November an agreement will be successfully reached
with the United States. They have even come to a silent but none the
less definite
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understanding with the doubtful elements in our country. If,
therefore, there is any relaxation of the embargo or freezing
regulations, or if a belief of that gains ground, then the Chinese
people would consider that China has been completely sacrificed by
the United States. The morale of the entire people will collapse and
every Asiatic nation will lose faith, and indeed suffer such a shock
in their faith in democracy that a most tragic epoch in the world
will be opened. The Chinese army will collapse, and the Japanese
will be enabled to carry through their plans, so that even if in the
future America would come to our rescue the situation would be
already hopeless. Such a loss would not be to China alone.
We could therefore only request the United States Government to be
uncompromising, and announce that if the withdrawal of Japanese
armies from China is not settled, the question of relaxing of the
embargo or freezing could not be considered. If, on the other hand,
the American attitude remains nebulous Japanese propaganda will
daily perform its fell purpose so that at no cost to them this
propaganda will effect the breakdown of our resistance. Our more
than four years of struggle with the loss of countless lives and
sacrifices and devastation unparalleled in history would have been
in vain. The certain collapse of our resistance will be an
unparalleled catastrophe to the world, and I do not indeed know how
history in future will record this episode.
