Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Korea and China, Volume VII, Part 2

793.5511/8–1051

The Chargé in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State

secret
No. 66

Taipei, August 10, 1951.

Ref:

• Weeka Telegram No. 26, June 29, 1951
• Weeka Telegram No. 31, August 4, 1951
• Toeca Telegram No. 740, August 4, 1951
• Embassy Despatch No. 54, August 6, 1951
• Toeca Telegram No. 752, August 9, 1951¹

Subject: Call-up of 15,000 Men for Chinese Armed Forces

There are enclosed herewith copies of a letter of July 31, 1951, addressed by the American Chargé d’Affaires to the Chinese Foreign Minister, and the latter’s reply of August 10, 1951,² regarding the call-up of 15,000 men for the Chinese Armed Services which was announced July 25. The two letters are self-explanatory, but further details may be obtained from the references listed above.

The action of the Chinese Government in announcing the conscription of 15,000 additional men was perhaps not in itself a matter warranting official American opposition. It is understood that the Armed Forces would still have been somewhat under the strength authorized when the 1951 budget was adopted. However, the particularly critical financial position at the present moment, the fact that the MAAG had not been consulted, and the delay in replying to the Embassy’s communication of July 20, 1951,³ on the control of expenditures, all suggested the wisdom of making something of an issue of the matter.

The Chinese military authorities are not accustomed to being crossed, and at first were adamant in insisting that the call-up should go through as planned. The Generalissimo is reported to have sided with them for a time at least. The Charge’s letter to the Foreign Minister was intended to make the matter very clear but not an open issue. It was reinforced by verbal representations in various quarters. The fact that the Chinese military finally climbed half-way down from their earlier position is sufficient evidence that they were impressed with American insistence, however tactfully applied.

To date the entire affair has been kept out of the press, so that no serious loss of face is involved. It is hoped that the result will have a salutary effect in the proper quarters.

K. L. Rankin

[Enclosure]

The Chargé in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Chinese Foreign Minister (Yeh)

confidential

Taipei, July 31, 1951.

My Dear Mr. Minister: Confirming our conversation of last evening I hope you can make clear to your colleagues in the Government that we take a very serious view of the circumstances under which 15,000 recruits are scheduled to be called up for service in the Armed Forces.

In the first place, a response to my memorandum (No. 8) of July 20 is still being awaited. As you recall, that memorandum requested the Government of China, as a matter of urgency, to formulate procedures designed to bring its military and civilian expenditures under planned control. This was done upon specific instructions from the Department of State, and the importance we attached to the subject was evidenced by the fact that Dr. Moyer, General Chase and I discussed it at a special conference with the Generalissimo on the same day you received my memorandum.

Secondly, you are familiar with the extraordinary efforts being made by the economic branches of your Government, in close cooperation with ECA, to close the serious budgetary gap which now threatens the entire financial structure of this island. It was with this situation in mind that General Chase has reiterated to the Chief of Staff, General Chou Chili-jou, his opposition to any addition of recruits to the Armed Forces.

Under the circumstances we see no justification for the action of the Ministry of National Defense in calling up these recruits, at a substantial cost to the Government, without full prior consultation with the American officials most immediately concerned and against their known opposition in principle, as well as without the approval of the Economic Stabilization Board. If such action is permitted, then the operations of the Board and the efforts of ECA experts to assist in budget and tax improvements become largely meaningless. This will be only too apparent to our Government in Washington.

I see no alternative, therefore, to asking you to persuade the Executive Yuan to defer indefinitely the implementation of this order calling up recruits. I would ask also that a reply to my memorandum of July 20 be expedited in order to establish procedures as soon as possible which would prevent a recurrence of such developments as that under immediate discussion.

I have written to you in the form of a personal letter, in the hope that this question can be solved discreetly. However, I would ask you to leave no doubt in the minds of your colleagues of the seriousness with which we regard this matter.

Sincerely yours,

K. L. Rankin

1. None printed.
2. Foreign Minister Yeh’s reply, not printed, stated that the calling up of 3,000 of the original 15,000 men was to be indefinitely postponed and that 4,568 non-commissioned officers who had received special training were to be released and placed on reserve status.
3. See telegram 42 to Taipei, July 13, 1951, p. 1750.