Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-27
Chang Rumored
Losing Followers Due
To Lack Of Allied Aid
Chuneking Difficulty
Feared More Serious
Thon Diplomatic Slight
Ry HELEN LOMBARD.

The rumor Of serious trouble in
/ Chungking is taking on such dimen-
/ sions that responsible officials no
! longer believe the problem consists
in keeping Chang Kai-shek sa It's
/ fed.
The Generalissimo himself is re-
/ ported to be having difficulty in
/ keeping his followers in line be-
cause of the Scant supplies arriving
/ from the United Nations. 1t is, of
course. an old diplomatic technique
| for the head of state to claim that
his supporters are faltering and
| that he must have certain con-
/ ceSSionS or else.
In this case, however. some
quarters in Washington fear that
the Chinese leaders troubles are
not mere paper dragons, but are
very real and growing difficulties.
The recall Of the Chinese military
mission which had been in Wash
lngton for nine months was an ac-
cepted diplomatic way of saying
satisfied with the amount of at
tention the United Nations are Civ
ing to the Pacific war theater.
diplomatic Slight"
When 1t. Gen. HSiung -Shi-Fei de-
parted from Washington he left
behind host of rumorS. The Chi
nese general and the members Of
his mission are reported to have
been Sighted" by diplomatic
Washington" and to have been ig-
nored by high-ranking American
Army and Navy officers.
The only possible foundation for
the diplomatic slight" boils down
to the fact that a request by the
general for diplomatic automobile
tags for himself and the members
OF his mission was refused by the
State Department.
None of the missions in WASH
ington which have semi diplomatic
ststus-their members run I'D into
the thousands-have been accorded
the right to use "DPL" tags. That
right carries with it diplomatic i'm
munity, a status which covers only
heads of diplomatic missions and
their stats.
For instance. Field Marshal Sir
John Dill, who represents the Brit
ish general staff in Washington.
also was turned down.
The rumors Of social sights by
diplomatic Washington are harder
to understand. There is no "diplo-
matte Washington" which entertains
visiting missions except when an
embassy entertains its own nation
ais.
No Entertainment Fund.
It has often been remarked that
the nospitable United States Gov
eminent has no funds and makes
no provision for the entertainment
of its distinguished foreign visitors.
In most foreign capitals a program
of social entertainment is a govern
ment sponsored proposition.
Now that President Roosevelt and
his cabinet officers have cut out
formal receptions for the duratio
formal entertaining is done only in
some of the embassies.
The story that the Chinese gen.
eral may have been sighted by
high-ranking American generals
also is being discounted. The truth
is that every time the head of the
Chinese mission asked to see either
Admirals Leahy and King or Gems.
Marshall and Arnold, he was re-
ceived within half an hour.
1t is true that Gen. Hsiung Shi-
fei did not sit in on all the meet
ings Of the chiefs of staffs of the
United Nations because most of
these meetings dealt exclusively
with North African and European
affairs. Every time the Pacific war
was discussed, however, the Chinese
general was invited to attend.
Chinese trouble. which is growing
ominously, is not social or diplomatic
or official The American general
staff did not ignore Chang Kali
shek's military ENJOYS. American
strategy is ignoring China and
though that strategy is being exc
cuted by the military it was not
conceived by them.
RELEASED By the Bell Syndicate, Incl