Evening star., 1944-11-02


home in California indicated the
general may be in Washington. The
story, filed from Salinas. said Gen
StilWell's wife had filed an appli-
cation for an absentee voters bal
lot and asked that it be sent to her
IN care of Gen. George c. Marshall
Army chief of staff, at Fort Myer,
Va. The dispatch added that Mrs.
Stilwell left for Washington Tues
/ day.
1t was learned that some Of the
arrangements previously made for
invigorating China's war effort are
believed not to have been upset by
the Presidents recall of Gen.
Stilwell.
That Is the Interpretation au-
thoritatively placed on Mr.. Roose-
| Velts emphatic assertion that the
trouble was a clash of personalities
on the part of the general and the
generalissimo and that policy and
strategy issues were not involved.
Principle Is Unchanged.
There are several such issues in
volved in the Chinese situation
however, and the progress made in
solving them can be reported on
the highest authority as developing
along these lines:
Before Mr. Nelson and Gen.
Hurley went to China two months
ago. Gen. Chang had fully agreed
that his armies should have
an American combat comman-
der. He had agreed, despite long
record of past differences, that that
commander should be Gen. Stilwell.
Gen. Stilwell's recall did not
change the principle but merely the
man. Presumably, If the shifting
strategy of the war still calls for
ior combat use of Chinese forces
at this stage of fighting Mai. Gen.
A. C. Widemeyer or some one agreed
on by him and Gen. Chang, will
still take the command.
! The President sent Gen. Hurley
to China AS his special representa-
tive with direct access to the White
House. The Chinese wanted it that
way. The situation reflected
breakdown in the diplomatic func-
tions which should have been exer-
cised by Ambassador Clarence E.
/ Gauss. whose relations with the
/ Chinese were limited to formalities.
Now as part of Mr.. Roosevelts clean
sweep OF top American assignments
in Chungking, Mr.. Gauss is coming
home to stay.
Trying TO Unite Factions.
Gen. Hurley also had a specific
mission. 1t was and is-since he is
still in Climatic bring together
Gen. Chang and the Chinese Com
munlsts in the north. The two
factions have openly fought or
covertly feared each other for many
years-but the prospect of an anree-
ment between them today is con-
sldered better than it has been at
any time in the past.
Meanwhile, in MINNEAPOLIS Rep
resentative Judd, Republican. of
Minnesota declared in a statement
that Gen. Stilwell was recalled be-
cause Generalissimo Chang re-
fused to accept White House ul-
timatum. delivered by Gen. Still
well, demanding that Gen. Still
we'll be made commander of all of
China's armies.
Mr.. Judd said the ultimatum
threatened withdrawal of United
States military support from China.
Mr.. Judd, medical missionary
in China from 1925 to 1881 and
1884 to 1888, was in Chungking in
september when the situation came
to head. His knowledge of it was
gained, he said, from the highest
Chinese sources in Chungking.
The stories of returned corre
spondents from Washington. pur-
porting to tell the inside Stilwell
story, are true as far as thev co.
Mr.. Judd said, but their sources of
information skillfully omit the
things that precipitated the action
They tell of Chiang's ultimatum'
demanding Stilwell's withdrawal.
but If there is to be talk of ulti-
matums let it be on the record that
Chlangs act was the result of an
ultlmatum presented by Stilwell as
the agent of the White House"
Mr.. Judd said the Stilwell ulti
matum demanded that he be named
as overall commander in China
with military authority even over
Chang himself