Evening star., 1948-07-11

our history more glaring example
Of short-sightedness than that
which our government has displayed
in regard to China since 1916.
j We proclaimed the National gov
ernment of China our principal ally
in the Far East, and our defense
of Chinas territorial integrity was
basic reason for our war with
Japan.
While we decided as far back as
1892 to prevent China's disintegra-
tion by every means at our disposal,
we light-heartedly agreed at Yalta
in 1945 to hand over Manchuria-
one of her most important provinces
indirectly to Russia.
This act was covered up with dip
lomatic verbiage. Manchuria, 1t was
said, would be returned to the Chi
nese National government, but Rus
sia would be allowed to have the
same rights as it had in Czarist
days. OF course, within a short
time the Russian-sponsored Com
munist government had started mil
itary operations, assisted covertly
by Moscow's arms and Soviet mill
tary and technical advisers.
Truce Helped Reds
Gen. Chang was thrown to the
wolves, although we had solemnly
promised him our support. The
Chinese Communists were described
by our Moscow lovers in the State
Department-and by our liberals"
as agrarian reformers trying to
save the little man" from the cor
rupt and venal administrators Of
the National government.
In 1946 President Truman sent
our former Army Chief of Staf1,
Gen. Marshall, to China as special
Ambassador, with the mission OF
reconciling the Communists and the
Nationalists. One of his tasks was
| to bring about truce.
! The Communist leaders accepted
the truce, for 1t played into their
hands. While the Chinese armies
trained by American officers-were
still in good shape and could have
defeated the weak Communists, the
truce prevented them from taking
any major action. Meanwhile, the
Russians rushed war materials from
the looted arsenals in Manchuria,
as we'll as technical experts, to their
Chinese satellites and organized
them into efficient guerrilla teams.
Our Government became dissatis-
fed with lack of cooperation on
the part of Gen. Chang. He saw
the writing on the wall and refused
to hand over the government to the
Communists by giving them the I'M
portant positions they asked for.
Gen. Marshall considered this as
an affront to himself and sabotage
of his plans to broaden the govern
ment by the inclusion OF Com
munists.
AS a reprisal for Gen. Chiang's
lack of cooperation, Gen. Marshall
ordered held up all military sup
plies which he had promised to SEND
the Nationalist armies. A formal
contract for motor vehicle parts
for which the Chinese had paid In
advance-at the rate Of $1.25 for
parts worth s1-was Cancelled with
out explanation.
A military advisory group OF about
| 900 officers was sent to- help the
Chinese armies. On orders from
Washington these men are merely
marking time. Unlike our smaller
mission in Greece, they are not
allowed to 60 anywhere near the
battle front or to advise the Chlnese
general staff in any way.
While the Russians pour war ma
terials and technical staff advisers
to the Chinese Communists, our
Government spokesmen say we
should not waste money and sub
stance on China because her gov
ernment is corrupt.
Funds Are Slow
Army Secretary Royal expressed
the administrator views IN an
executive session. of the Senates
Appropriations Committee. China is
washed up, he said; she will be
Communistic before long and the
money which Congress appropriated
to help the government, which is
fighting Russias puppet, is just
going down a rathole.
The House of Representatives and
the Senate have a better picture OF
the situation and have compelled
the administration to help Gen.
Chang, first, by appropriating last
December a token fund of nearly
$50 100000 to help the Chinese gov
ernment buy much-needed military
supplies in this country, and later,
by giving China $125 900 900 for the
same purpose when ERP funds were
appropriated.
But the administration has been
slow in making these funds avail
able. After much delay, President
Truman on June 2 ordered the
State and Treasury Departments to
allocate to China $13,5o0,000 worth
of war materials. No action was
taken by the State Department until
June %, and then only after Chair
man Bridges of the Senate Appro-
priations Committee publicly blasted
this stalling.
| Arms Unusable
Last March the State Department
announced that 64,736 tons of am
munition was being made available
to China. Only about 1000 tons,
however, was actually useful to the
Chinese Nationalists. Only the 80