Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1944-06-09
WNU Service. Union Trust Building
WASHINGTON. d. C.

WNU service, Union Trust Building
Washington. d. C.
Ever since the day when America
as . nation was Just a little over
eight years old. and the first Yankee
merchantmen. flying the brand new
stars and stripes. was welcomed in
Canton harbor, the story Of Chinese.
American relations has been the
story Of long and beautiful friend.
ship.
Recently. however, there has been
considerable concern among the
friends Of China in Washington over
the growing strain In those rela-
tons which seemed gradually to be
reaching a dangerous tension after
seven years Of war in which China
has looked vainly to America for
the aid that was not forthcoming.
Now. two things have happened
which have considerably eased the
strain, and these two nations who
need each other so much and be-
tween whom such a reservoir Of
good will, as Willkie called it, has
been built up, are both breathing
easier.
Zone thing is the turn OF the tide
Of battle in Burma for which much
of the credit may be given to Uncle
joe Stilwell as leader of the
Chinese-American forces The other
is the visit of Vice President Wal
lace to Generalissimo Chang Kai-
shek.
Today, Chinese officials are build
ing high hopes on that visit. They
believe that when the vice president
returns, he will be able to stimu-
late an understanding in America Of
what they consider China's great
est affiiction-economic chaos.
Nobody claims that Chinas
troubles are limited to her economic
situation. Some observers would put
even the war, which Is bad enough,
second to political dissention which
has only been prevented from out
break by an iron hand. But the thing
that the Chinese government thinks
would do the most good right now is
consumer goods: medical supplies
and essential chemicals first: then
probably clothing next and on down
the line, including all the things one
needs to carry on civilized existence
in its simplest way.
The Chinese don't quite agree with
the way we use imitation to describe
their internal situation although
printing press money has been put
into circulation to the tune Of mil
lions OF dollars and that Chinese
financial resources have been
gcraped to the bone.
The True Story
One Chinese official said to me:
IF only we could get bare 5000
tons of goods month from the out
side, to be sold at prices controlled
by the government, 1t would make
all the difference in the world.
Twenty big cargo planes making
regular trips would be enough to
carry it.
you can buy bottle Of aspirin
for so cents in this country" he
went on. when we can get any
aspirin in China, single tablet
costs that much. But the price is
not so important. II we could get
aspirin, Chat is just an example)
even if we had to set price of, say
five cents a tablet, it would serve
our purpose. We are willing to
stabilize prices, even II they must
be at a high level, but we cannot
stop imitation unless we have the
consumer goods to sell"
For a long time, the seriousness
of China's financial situation has
been known; the hardships the
WIlssS COlldI GldSS, VIC PiOlCSSiOiiol
peoples suffering; the lack of food
and shoes and cartridges Ito say
nothing of artillery for the army;
but 1t is only recently that detailed
stories have been widely printed
and open discussion has taken place
here. 4
There were two reasons for the
brake on revealing to America in
ternal conditions in China. In the
first place, the Chinese did not wish
their situation to be any more
widely known than necessary, anc
for that reason, Chungking clamped
down a wall Of censorship on al
news originating there.
In the second place, Americans
familiar with the facts-and this ap
plies to many writers as vel
as Americas government officials
friendly In China-did not wish to BIZ
in the position Of perhaps damaging
the morale Of a loyal ally and GER
tainly offending her government BY