Evening star., 1947-12-21

CQlI1d III an el1OIG W ICCOIiCiC tiie
irreconcilable Communists. 1t was
thought that his great prestige as
wartime Chief of Staff of the Amer
ican Army would give him the nee
essary support to bring the Chinese
factions together where his prede-
cessors had failed.
Marshall Disguised
Unlike Other American Ambassa-
dors, Gen. Marshall was allowed to
write his own directives, which were
approved Immediately by President
Truman. After almost IL months
of painful negotiations. which
amounted to nothing, Gen. Mar
shall left China in disgust. His
entire policy had failed, as he had
been warned it would by some of
President Truman's closest advisers.
Gen. Marshall tried every means
at his disposal to induce Gen.
Chang to take the Communists into
the government. For months Gen.
Chou En-lai, the Communist repre-
sentative, was in Marking partici-
pating with our special Ambassador
in frequent meetings with the
Kuomintang, representatives. No
agreement was possible, because
whenever Gen. Chang agreed to
certain concessions they were re-
jected by Gen. Chou.
American representatives in China
could see the graft and corruption
of the Kuomintang, but had little
or no opportunity to see what was
going on in the Communist camp
Hence, they drew the conclusion
that the corrupt regime OF the
Kuomintang must be replaced with
new blood, and that new blood must
come from the Chinese "agrarians,"
as Gen. Macs faction was fondIy
described.
Weapons Are Urgent
When Gen. Marshall considered
his mission ended-in complete
fai!ure-he returned to Washington
But before returning he issued a
statement in which he placed
small portion of the onus for his
failure on the intransigeance of
the Communists, but he over
whelmed Gen. Chang and his ad-
ministration with severe criticism
This criticism would have been
painful only to the Kuomintang's
susceptibilities if it had not been
followed by more practical deeds.
After the departure of Gen. Mar
shall all assistance to China stopped,
except for the maladministered
UNRRA and some trifing exports.
Gen. Chang has made it clear to
all Americans who have been in con-
tact with him that there can be no
real hope of improvement in China's
economic and financial situation SO
long as the Communists continue to
wage war. The most important need
for China today-more important
than foods armament and equip
nent for the American trained
divisions, which have ); American
equipment but lack American am
munition.
Ammunition must be licensed for
export by the State Department
and at this moment not a single So
caliber bullet is permitted to be ex-
ported to China. On the other
hand, the Russians are more than
liberal in supplying Communist
forces with equipment and winter
clothing. which is needed in the sub
zero temperatures of Manchuria.
The administration policy, which
is said to have received only re-
Gently President Trumans full ap-
proval, is that so long as the Chinese
government is not "broadened"-and
the broadening" can come only by
inclusion of the Moscow-trained
Communists-there must be no help
for the government of Gen. Chang
which has been tottering because of
lack of assistance.
Thus, while the American Govern
ment is ready to support those Eu-
ropean regimes which are free Of
disruptive Communist elements, in
China we are determined to give no
assistance to the officially recognized
government unless 1t includes the
very same elements which we are
attempting to eliminate from Eu-
rope.
Chang Is Fatalistic
The strategic importance Of China
to our national security cannot be
sufficiently emphasized. The Rus
slams have organized an entirely
new and efficient industry east of
the Urals. In the event of a con-
flict with the United States they
count on that area-where their
principal atom bomb factories are
believed to be located-as their prin-
cipal arsenal.
In its evaluation of defense po-
te1tials the Department Of Defense
already has advised that our posi-
tion would be very seriously weak
ened if China ever is controlled by
Communists. Reports reach WASH
ington weekly from most reliable
sources to the effect that Moscow is
now strengthening considerably the
Communist armies in China. First
class war materials, instructors and
general staff officers are being sent
to the Communist-controlled areas
in China with the hope that final
blow can be dealt to the shaky
Kuomintang next spring.
Gen. Chang, who has been plead
ing for American support. has
adopted a fatalistic attitude. He has
instructed his Ambassador in WASH
ington, DR.. v. K. Wellington Koo,