Evening star., 1944-10-30
Removal Of StiIweII
Underscores China S
Problems in War

The withdrawal OF Gen. JOSEPH
w. Stilwell as American com
mander in the China-Burma.
India theater and as adviser t,
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shel
has underscored the political ant
military problems facing China
which must be solved If it is tx
wage effective warfare .agains1
Japan.
Among American officials there i
hope. but little real confidence, tha
the generalissimo will be able to pu
his military and political affairs IL
order without further delay.
Meanwhile as senior ranking Off.
Ger in the China theater Maj. Gen
Claire L. Chennault, commander OF
the United States 14th Air Force
is serving as acting commander un.
til Maj. Gen. Albert c. Wedemeyer
arrives to take up his new post as
commander of American forces in
China, official quarters disclosed to.
day.
Apparently the question of inten-
styling China's war effort will come
to head in mid-November when
the Central Executive Committee OF
the Kuomintang is scheduled tc
meet. 1t is expected to consider
charges recently published at Chung
king by the Advisory Peoples Coun-
Gil. This body vigorously criticized
some of the leaders serving under
Gen. Chang and held that the con-
dition of Chinese armies was bad.
Chang Reported Resentful.
Meanwhile a wide variety of rea-
sons were advanced by both Chinese
and American sources as to why
the veteran United States leader
who recently was advanced to the
rank of full general, had been with
drawn from his command.
Morris J. Harrison, former chief
of the Associated Press bureau in
Shanghai, suggested in a speculative
article that Gen. Chang may have
resented Gen. Stilwell's insistence
on American methods to increase
the fighting efficiency of China.
An unquotable Chinese source in
the United States said that the
generalisSimo had demanded Gen.
Stilwell's removal, and that his re-
call represented a victory for the
Chinese commander.
Another line of American specu-
lation was that Gen. Stilwell would
be groomed to return to China with
an invading army to liberate that
country from the Japanese, just as
Gen. Macarthur has returned to the
Philippines,
Preston Grover, Associated Press
correspondent in New Delhi, report
ed that the net result of Gen. Still
wells removal had been to pull the
props from under American activ-
ity in this area" He expressed
doubt of reports that the American
officer had been withdrawn due to
British pressure.
With the separation of China
from the Obi command" Mr..
oiofCA CoDACo, ~ dppCdlS lIOul Cile
American point of view that India
will be made mere supply route to
China unless forces here, mainly
air, are given orders to assist the
British in southwark operations
against Sumatra and Singapore.
That is considered unlikely"
Amid all this speculation, no off,
cial explanation of Gen. Stilwell's
removal or the division of the
former Obi command into sepa-
rate Chinese and Burma India
theaters was made by either Amer
ican or Chinese authorities.
Certain facts, however, emerge
clearly: 1t has been Gen. Stilwell's
job, in addition to his supervising
American forces, to get American
supplies for China in the largest
possible quantities and to insist on
their use by China's armies against
Japan in the most effective manner.
1t is also known that many Amer
ican officials have been highly dis
satisfied with the military results
of this country's aid to China, par
ticularly since the japanese have
conquered some of the air bases