The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-05
Diplomatic Chess Game
By JOSEPH c.. HARSCH


derstood precisely by those trained 20 speak
and understand it This whole affair of Gen
eral StilWell, Ambassador Gauss Generalissi-
mo Chang Kai-shek, and the unleashed tor
rent of American Journalistic comments on
China needs to be translated most. carefully
into this esoteric language of diplomacy to be
understood. In ordinary Technology it is both
alarming and battling. In professional ternai-
nology it is one of the most carefully played
diplomatic chess games OF our times
On the surface it would appear as though
the Generalissimo, in demanding the recall Of
General Stilwell, was hitting Washington over
the head with a meat ak and that Washing
ton, in loosing the American correspondents,
was coming back with something resembling
a pile driver.
Nothing could be farther from the case.
Chang chose the one position on which he
was impregnable-his personal right to accept
or reject subordinates of his own choosing in
his own country. And Washington, in retaliat-
ing, chose the one weapon at hand which
could sting. but not harm-publication Of true
but unpleasant things about China in the United
States press.
Chang did not insist on what really counts
in this tussle over how far the Chungking clique
is to Subordinate its narrow partisan interests
to prosecution of the war against Japan He
insisted only G.. MS right to reject Washing
ton candidate for particular post. In doing
that he temporarily postponed any action un-
der Washington's formula for composing the
latent civil war in China. Until General Still
wells successor attains higher rank, he will
not be senior enough in the military hierarchy
to be eligible to command all Allied forces in
China, includinr the Shansi-Shens schismatics
(Nho wonders w why they ever called them
selves Communlsts).
But Chang did not for one moment ask for
ybofh 4I
over the distribution of American lend-lease in
China, or for any Of the other things he would
like but would never be. granted, such as at
least titular command over the big B-29s
which are carefully kept at the disposal Of
the combined Joint Chiefs of Stats in Wash
ington, largely so they can never become a
factor in internal Chinese politics as other
forms OF American military activities have in
evitably become to some extent.
Washington, in retaliating, most carefully
avoided anything involving or implying threat
either to Chiang's personal position in China
or to Americas continued support of the larger
cause OF China as opposed to the narrower
cause OF the little clique which has recently
come to dominate the Generalissimos deci-
sions.
What it did was to weaken the credit of
the Chungking regime IN the eyes of the Amer
lean public. That should weaken the group
around the Genera1issmo and actually
strengthen his own hand in China, because it
deprlves them Of the argument that American
public opinion is SO pro-Chinese that they can
DO no wrong. Now they know they can do
wrong in American eyes and WILL therefore,
presumably, listen with trifle more humility
to Washington advice.
But this does not hurt Chiangs prestige at
home. His censorship is quite capable of taxi
ing care Of that. In China it will be known
that his demand for General Stilwells recall
was needed The prestige accruing to him
from that will not be dispelled by knowledge
of the other side of the coin-that his Govern
ment paid for it in the dissipation OF legend.
If the series of moves works out as intend
ed, the only losers will be General StilweI,
personally; the Chungkng censorship which is
now thoroughly discredited in outside eyes;
and the little gang around the Generalissi-
mo who have almost made his will their prison
| er, and among whom are unquestionabey some
who would rather compromise with the Japa-
nese than grant China one inch more in the
direction OF democracy than it has now, which
is almost precisely nothing.
In other words, the basic issues have not
been changed or solved by the events of the
week. There are new personalities the
stage. The advice which Chang has been ac-
cepting has, Washington hopes, been conpro-
missed and weakened. The advice which Wash
ineton would like him to accept has, with
equal hope, been strengthened. But the prod
uct of these changes remains to be tested
| Christian Science Monitor.
Indian summer brings the days when you
feel like going home just before you settle
down to work.
There are two main uses for political
platform: One party stands on it and the
other jumps on it. t-
|
Thousands of our boys overseas are wait
ing for those letters the home folks are going
to write when they find the time.