It is worthy of note that the political reforms advocated by non-Communist
Chinese organizations and individuals are in a very large measure the same
reforms that the Chinese Communist Party advocates.
[Annex]
Memorandum by Mr. Troy L. Perkins of the Division of
Chinese Affairs
Reforms in China Which Have Been Advocated by
Prominent Chinese (Persons and
Organizations)
| Abbreviations. |
PPC: People’s Political Council, |
|
FDP: Federation of Democratic Parties, |
|
CPA: Constitution Promotion Association. |
|
(For individuals and newspapers mentioned, see Appendix at
end.) |
I. Political.
In general, more democracy in China now, the crux
of all problems and in particular the immediate war situation. [FDP,
CPA, Ta Kung Pao, some Kuomintang members in
private conversations, Sun Fo, Feng Yu-hsiang, General Yang Chieh,
General Li Chi-shen, General Liu Wen-hui, Huang Yen-pei, K. P.
Chen]45a
- 1.
- End of political tutelage and commencement of putting into effect
of constitutional government; recognition of civil liberties. [PPC
resolution, FDP, Sun Fo, Huang Yen-pei]
- 2.
- Granting of real power to People’s Political Council;
reorganization of local assemblies; calling of the National Congress
during the war. [PPC members, FDP, Ta Kung
Pao, K. P. Chen]
- 3.
- A wider basis for the present government; a coalition for war,
with representation of minority groups, including Communists and all
anti-Japanese resistance elements. [FDP, CPA, Sun Fo]
- 4.
- Breaking up of the oligarchy, of one-party domination and family
rule; dismissal of reactionary fascistic and corrupt leaders in the
Government. [Sun Fo, Madame Sun Yat-sen, Quo Tai-chi, K. P. Chen,
Yunnan Daily News]
- 5.
- Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and person. [FDP, academic
leaders at Kunming, Ta Gung Pao, Yunnan
press, Sun Fo]
- 6.
- Liberalizing of censorship. [Sun Fo, Quo Tai-chi, Yunnan Daily News]
- 7.
- Elimination of repressive bureaucratic control of education;
relaxation of thought control of students and professors. [FDP, Sun
Fo]
- 8.
- Curbing of activities of secret police and Party organizations of
fascist type. [Sun Fo, General Yang Chieh, academic leaders at
Kunming]
- 9.
- Release of political prisoners. [FDP, CPA]
- 10.
- Abolition of special services and labor camps. [FDP]
- 11.
- Clean-up of official corruption. [PPC members, FDP, Yunnan Daily News, Madame Sun Yat-sen,
General Li Chi-shen]
- 12.
- Reduction of bureaucratic agencies and surplus Government
personnel. [PPC members]
- 13.
- Improvement in treatment of public functionaries [PPC
resolution]
- 14.
- Wider utilization of counsel and leadership of starving
intellectual classes and adequate provision for their livelihood.
[PPC members, FDP]
- 15.
- Settlement of Kuomintang–Communist differences. [FDP, Quo Tai-chi,
K. P. Chen, Madame Sun Yat-sen]
- 16.
- Improved relations with the Soviet Union. [PPC resolution, FDP,
Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Fo, General Yang Chieh, National Herald and China
Times]
II. Military.
In general, the reorganization of Chinese armed forces and changes in
their leadership to enable more effective prosecution of the war. [PPC,
FDP, Feng Yu-hsiang, General Yang Chieh]
- 1.
- Reform of conscription methods. [PPC resolution, Chiang Kai-shek,
Chiang Mon-lin, General Li Chi-shen, Huang Yen-pei, National Herald, academic leaders]
- 2.
- Better treatment of troops: provision of adequate food and
medicines as a basic minimum; better troop training methods. [PPC
resolution, FDP, Ta Kung Pao, Chiang
Kai-shek, Chiang Mon-lin, Feng Yu-hsiang, General Yang Chieh,
General Li Chi-shen]
- 3.
- Abler and more honest officers. [FDP, Chiang Mon-lin, Feng
Yu-hsiang]
- 4.
- Punishment of incompetent Generals. [FDP, PPC petition with 103
signatures reportedly called for punishment of General Tang
En-po]
- 5.
- Disposition of troops for military rather than political reasons.
[General Yang Chieh]
- 6.
- Ending of comparative inactivity of Chinese forces. [Yunnan
press]
- 7.
- Utilization of armies now blockading the Communists to fight the
Japanese. [FDP. Madame Sun Yat-sen]
- 8.
- Closer cooperation with American forces. [Chiang Mon-lin]
- 9.
- End to false communiqués; franker information on the war from
official spokesmen. [Ta Kuna Pao]
III. Financial—Economic.
- 1.
- “Economic equality”. [Ta Rung Pao]
- 2.
- Elimination of corruption and inefficiency in tax collection,
especially taxes in kind and food collection. [PPC members, FDP,
General Li Chi-shen]
- 3.
- Put an end to profiteering, hoarding and speculation. [PPC
resolution, FDP, Chiang Kai-shek]
- 4.
- Curb lavish expenditures by wealthy persons and by organizations
having no connection with the war. [PPC resolution, FDP]
- 5.
- Stop squandering of Government funds on useless bureaucracy and
excess personnel. [PPC members]
- 6.
- Institution of measures to control prices and curb inflation.
[FDP, Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Fo, academic leaders]
- 7.
- Enactment and enforcement of higher income and excess profit
taxes, including possibly a capital levy. [Sun Fo, academic leaders
at Kunming, Yunnan press]
- 8.
- Government borrowing of foreign currencies belonging to wealthy
Chinese. [Yunnan press, academic leaders at Kunming]
- 9.
- Officials of Ministry of Finance not to be allowed control of
Government banks. [PPC resolution]
- 10.
- Agrarian reform: reduction of extortionate rents and usurious
interest rates levied on the farming classes; check the growing
concentration of land holding; end military extortions against
farmers. [Sun Fo, Madame Sun Yat-sen, Liang Shu-ming]
appendix
Sun Fo (son of Sun Yat-sen), President of the
Legislative Yuan.
Feng Yu-hsiang—revolutionary military leader; member,
State Council and National Military Council.
General Yang Chieh—formerly Deputy Chief of Staff to
Generalissimo, President of Central Military Academy, and Ambassador to
Soviet Union.
General Li Chi-shen—independent military and political
leader in Southwest; former Inspector General of Military Training.
General Liu Wen-hui—Chairman, Sikang Provincial
Government.
Dr. Huang Yen-pei—prominent educator; head of Vocational
Education Group of FDP.
K. P. Chen—member, Central Planning Board; head of
Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank; former chairman of Foreign Trade
Commission.
[Page 190]
Quo Tai-Chi—member, Supreme National Defense Council;
formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to Great
Britain.
Yunnan Daily News (Kunming) organ of Yunnan
Provincial Government.
Ta Kung Pao (independent) China’s best-edited and
most influential newspaper.
Academic leaders at Kunming—Professors at Peking,
Tsinghua, and Nankai Universities (Southwest Associated University).
National Herald (Chungking)—organ of Foreign
Office.
China Times (Chungking) controlled by H. H. Kung
interests.
Chiang Mon-lin—President of Chinese Red Cross; President
of Peking University; former Minister of Education.
Liang Shu-ming—head of Rural Rehabilitation Group of
FDP.
