Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-06
China Absorbs Shock
Of Far East Pact
No Evidence of Secret
Clauses Uneurthed
To Dute
By A. T. Steele,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News.

SuiNnbO bdhJ ENNs
CHUNGKING (By Clipper China
is making satisfactory recovery from the
shock of the Russo Japanese neutrality
accord. Nothing has happened so far to
bear out Chinese fears that there might
be more to the pact than meets the eye.
Nevertheless, the Chinese are placing
no bets on the future of Sino-RusSian
relations. Their confidence and trust,
such as it was, has been deeply shaken.
The treaty demonstrated what most
Chinese had realized from the begin
ning-that Soviet help to China is based
wholly on self-intereSt. To the Chinese
this is at once disappointment and a
comfort, for they are convinced that
selfish considerations alone make it
imperative for Russia to continue ma
terial assistance to this country.
AS long as Soviet munitions continue
to pour into China, the Chinese will do
nothing to offend their powerful neigh
Dor. They will even overlook MosCow's
cynical violation of the Sino-Soviet
agreement of 1887, which reads:
IF one of the contracting parties is
invaded by third power, both con-
tracing parties agree during the entire
course of the conflict not to render
assistance to that third power or sign
any agreement with the third power
which the latter can employ to produce
i'll effect on the invaded country"
The fact remains that up to this
writing Soviet Russia has given greater
material assistance to the Chinese than
has any other country. 1t has sent
numbers of pilots, mechanics, instructors
and military advisers to help the Chi
neSe in their war of resistance. It has
signed contracts with the Chinese gov
eminent for the furnishing of $780,
600 900 worth of war materials.
Two of these contracts. for $50 900 900
worth of goods each, have already been
carried out by the Soviet side. The
third agreement involving $3.50 900 900
worth of munitions, was signed in 1899
and is more than half fulfilled. Ship
ments of Soviet airplanes and war ma
terlalS to China have reached a peak
In return for the munitions, China
has contracted to supply Russia with
tea, tungsten, wool and other commodi-
ties, though there is a lag in Chinese
repayments.
There are fewer Soviet pilots in China
today than year ago, but the number
OF military advisers and technicians is
probably about the same. A Russian
adviser is attached to every important
Chinese military unit. They are vastly
better informed on the inner conditions
in the Chinese Army than British and
American observers who rarely are per-
mitted to travel with the troops in the
field.
1t is quite erroneous, however to
suppose that the Russians are able TO
exercise control over Chinas domestic
and foreign policies. Nothing could be
farther from the truth than to say
that the Chinese government is the
puppet of the Russians. The Chinese
listen respectfully to Soviet advice. lust
as they listen to American and Brit
ish advice, but in the end they make
their own decisions
A characteristic of the entire Soviet
community here is its clannishness
The Russians, except for Soviet news
papermen, will have little to do with
the other foreign communities in
Chungking. They are good at asking
questions, but they hardly ever answer
them. They seem to work on the
theory that it is more blessed to
receive than to give.
But no amount of taciturnity can
hide the fact that long lines of heavily
loaded trucks have lately been arriv-
ing in China over the road from
TurkeStan. An American traveller who
has just returned here from a visit to
Lanchow, in the Northwest, estimates
that arrivals for several months have
been averaging about 1000 tons MONTH
ly. This is a considerable gain. For
some months after the Finnish cam
paign Russian deliveries were practical
ly suspended.
These supplies are carried as far as
Hami, in Chinese Turkestan, under
they are conveyed in Russian trucks
driven by Chinese chauffeurs. The
traffic is supplemented by $4,000 to
10000 camels, which come in with
gasoline and go out with tea and wool
One or two round trips per year is a
camel's limit.
Besides the shells, bombs light ar
tillery and other munitions arriving
in China by truck, the Chinese are re-
ceiving limited quantities of Soviet air.
planes. Probably more than 100 Soviet
aircraft have been delivered in the past
year. Plotted by Chinese, they have
proved inferior to the new, lightning
fast japanese ships.
China's main concern is whether this
stream of Russian supplies will con-
tinue Indefinitely in spite of the Russo
Japanese neutrality pact and the Kuo-
mintang- Communist impasSe. Foreign
Minister Viacheslav M. Molotov has as
sured Chinese Ambassador Shao Lite,
at Moscow, that there will be no change
in Soviet policy toward China. But the
Chinese prefer to judge the Russians
by their deeds. The next few months
should tell whether Chinese apprehen-