811.42793/10–2744
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Willys R. Peck of the Division of Cultural Cooperation
Dr. H. H. Chen called on Mr. Peck. Dr. Chen is in the United States as an officer of the Chinese Ministry of Food, but he described himself as primarily a banker. At the request of Mr. Hsu Kan, Minister of Food, he is now performing duties that in their nature link up with the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The pertinent part of Dr. Chen’s conversation related to the attitude of the Chinese Government toward the minority parties in China and the Communist Party. It was to be inferred that his object in calling on Mr. Peck was mainly to present the view that the American Government should not permit itself to be persuaded that the Chinese Government is adopting an oppressive or undemocratic attitude toward these political elements.
In regard to the minority political parties, Dr. Chen said that their leaders have been given places in the People’s Political Council. This is an indication of the attitude of the National Government, which is by no means an attitude of intolerance at the rivalry of other parties with the Kuomintang. However, these so-called leaders of political parties are not leaders in the usual sense of the term, since they have no popular following. Dr. Chen specifically mentioned a Dr. Chun-mai Chang as such a person. Dr. Chen insinuated that these “leaders” are mainly interested in getting recognition for their own personal benefit. In regard to the Chinese Communists, Dr. Chen was of the opinion that the Communist leaders were not sincere in saying that they would be satisfied to have the Communist Party recognized as an opposition party in a parliamentary sense. He said there was real ground for apprehension that the Chinese Communists were attempting measures that would result, after the war, in confronting the world with a fait accompli, that is, a solidly Communist state throughout North China and Manchuria. His remarks implied that this state, or coalition, would almost certainly gravitate more strongly to the Soviet Union than to the rest of China.
Mr. Peck made few comments on the observations of Dr. Chen, but said that he was very interested in the possibilities Dr. Chen opened up.