893.00/10–1144
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 7.]
Subject: Third Plenary Session of Third People’s Political Council.
Sir: Referring to the Embassy’s telegrams 1489, September 2, 3 p.m., 1558, September 15, 3 p.m., 1571, September 16, 8 p.m., and 1580, September 19, 12 noon, in regard to the Third Plenary Session of the Third People’s Political Council, I have the honor to report as follows on the session, its achievements and significance:
Summary. The Third Plenary Session of the Third PPC met in Chungking from September 5 to September 18, 1944, with approximately 170 delegates participating. About 200 proposals were submitted by the delegates for consideration and possible adoption as resolutions. The session was notable for the searching interpellations put to Government ministers and open and severe criticisms of governmental shortcomings, especially in financial, military and educational affairs. Important resolutions were passed seeking: improvement of the military conscription system; complete overhaul and reform of the Army; wider powers for the provincial people’s assemblies; early recognition of the “Korean Provisional Government”; strengthening of Sino-Soviet relations; elimination of corruption in government; improvement of treatment of public functionaries; [Page 633] increased powers of local autonomy; extension of mass education, et cetera. The Kuomintang–Communist question was admitted to open discussion, both a Kuomintang and a Communist representative addressing the session in regard to recent negotiations. The session voted to send a five-man mission to Yenan to investigate and report back to the Government with recommendations for a settlement. The Generalissimo’s speech in his capacity as President of the Executive Yuan was conciliatory in tone, although he made no important concessions in principle on important matters except a pledge to consider advancing the date for the conclusion of Party tutelage. The session voted a resolution of respect for and support of the Generalissimo, attaching to it four proposals on important questions. In all probability, the chief accomplishment of the session was to bring home to the Government and its leaders the widespread dissatisfaction of the people with the existing state of affairs in China and the imperative need of thorough-going reform, failing which the support of the people might be lost. End of Summary.
[Here follows detailed report.]
Achievements and significance of the PPC session. In endeavoring to evaluate the achievements and significance of the session it is necessary to bear in mind that the PPC is in the nature of an advisory body and that its powers are restricted to interpellations of Government ministers and the offering of recommendations to the Government in the form of resolutions which may or may not be accepted and implemented. Moreover, the PPC is made up largely of Kuomintang members and is Kuomintang-controlled; it is in no sense a democratic organ responsible to the people. But in spite of its limited powers and the close control exercised over its deliberations by the Chungking authorities, the present session of the PPC was productive of some indirect achievements. There appears to have been a deep realization among the delegates of the serious deterioration of the political, military and economic situation in China. By common consensus the interpellations of government ministers and the criticisms uttered in regard to Government administration and policy were the most spirited yet experienced in a PPC session. They reflected the dissatisfaction of the Chinese masses with the present state of affairs in China and the need of early reforms if the support of the people is to be retained by the present administration. The conciliatory attitude of the Generalissimo—as reflected in his speech of September 16—and of his ministers in answering the interpellations of the delegates pointed to official recognition of the desirability of taking into account the wishes of the delegates and the people.
For the first time the press was permitted to publish extensive reports of the proceedings of the session, including critical comments of the delegates. In this way the people were able to obtain an inkling of the deliberations. The publicity given the session thus contributed [Page 634] in some measure to an informed public opinion. The holding of the session coincided with a significant lifting of press censorship. Throughout the month of September the press, including some Kuomintang organs, indulged in unprecedented criticism of Government policy and administration.
The action of the authorities in permitting the relatively free expressions of views and criticisms in the Council meetings and in partially lifting the ban on the publication in the press of news items and articles critical of the Government is said to have been the result of verbal instructions issued by the Generalissimo. Several explanations of the Generalissimo’s decision to permit criticism of his administration have been advanced. One is that pent-up criticism and unrest had reached such proportions that it would be futile to endeavor to continue the policy of repression. Another was that the release of pent-up criticism would, from a psychological point of view, serve to diminish the unrest prevailing in the country and thus buttress the position of the Generalissimo and his Government. Yet a third explanation was that to the extent that the public and the press were free to express their comment and views they assumed a corresponding responsibility for the correction of the ills besetting the country. A further explanation offered by some observers was that the Generalissimo wished to refute the contentions of certain foreigners that there is no freedom of speech or other attributes of democracy in Kuomintang China. Whatever the Generalissimo’s motive may have been, it came as a welcome development and was regarded by many observers as a harbinger of further liberalization of government administration and the institution of reform.
The bringing home to the Government authorities of the general dissatisfaction of the people in regard to conditions in China and the imperative need of reform appear to have been a major accomplishment of the present session of the PPC.
The resolutions passed at the present session, large in number and very general in content, are similar to those passed in preceding sessions. Their aim and intent are praiseworthy but they often ignore practical difficulties of accomplishment. The importance of the resolutions, many of which give the appearance of having been conceived in haste and prepared without lengthy consideration, is of course vitiated by the fact that the Government is under no compulsion to carry them out and, in fact, very seldom acts upon them.
As has been stated above, the open discussion of the Communist question was a notable development of the present session. Although this step may not contribute to a settlement of this complex issue, it has served to acquaint the people with some of the ramifications of the Kuomintang–Communist impasse.
[Page 635]The Generalissimo’s speech of September 16 (a portion of which was withheld from publication) is perhaps the most significant one he has ever made to a PPC session. By all reports it was marked by a spirit of conciliation and an admission of shortcomings, although General Chiang appears to have made no important concessions in respect of principle. That the Generalissimo may have been influenced in some measure by the PPC proceedings (as well as by continued criticism from abroad) is suggested by the circulation in Chungking of persistent reports to the effect that a general reorganization of the Chinese Government is imminent.
Respectfully yours,