893.00/3–1348: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cabot) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 13—4:16 a. m.]
590. Although Ministry of Information organ China Daily Tribune carries Truman clarification of China policy22 on inside page, other English language press gives full treatment under banner headline. First editorial comment appears in China Press of H. H. Kung.23 It expresses gratification that Truman has seen fit to alter impression given by Marshall on question of coalition government. “A coalition government consisting of political parties seeking to achieve and perpetuate democracy is one thing, but coalition government in which one of parties openly seeks to overthrow multi-party rule in favor of one party dictatorship is quite another matter. There is certainly the greatest need in China for a process which will lead to broadening of government and establishment of true constitutional rule. It is to be regretted that liberals and intelligentsia, while openly favoring more progressive government, have not been able to show type of leadership required of them. It is all very well to criticize government—any government. But it is another thing to take over responsibility of government and prevent type of dictatorship which Communists aim in creating in this and every other country. There is no doubt that while in China Marshall was working for type of coalition which he and Truman have now seen as being neither necessary nor desirable. There is also little doubt that for a long period American diplomats and officials in country had mistaken conception that any democratic government must be one wherein Communists should enjoy responsibilities little short of those granted major Kmt Party and far greater than those of any minority party. Those who signed [Page 150] Yalta Agreement24 and then forced it upon China have learned an expensive and shameful lesson. True, it was hoped that this agreement would solve postwar problems rather than create new ones. But the results have proved that where Communists get a finger they are not satisfied until they have seized whole hand, then gained control of entire body politic. Chinese Government and those who are friendly to it should attempt by persuasion and encouragement to bring more minority party and nonpartisan leaders into state. There should be attempt to line up all democratic forces into solid anti-Communist chain devoted to creating true constitutional system. There have already been too many Mikolajczyk’s25 and Masaryk’s26 who have been forced into a ‘coalition’ with Communists, then left to fight losing battle. China does not want and does not need an internal Yalta.”
Sent Nanking; repeated Department.
- See President Truman’s press and radio news conference of March 11, p. 141.↩
- Adviser to President Chiang Kai-shek and former Chinese Minister of Finance.↩
- Signed February 11, 1945, by President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, and Marshal I. V. Stalin of the Soviet Union; Foreign Relation, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, p. 984.↩
- Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, Polish political leader.↩
- Jan Masaryk, Czechoslovak Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩