Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-31
Gen. Patrick HurIey,8
SoIdier-DipIomot, Dies

Mai. Gen. Patrick j. Hurley,
the colorful, controversial cow
puncher who rose to be Secre-
tary Of War under President
Hoover and later Ambassador
to China, died in his sleep last
night at his home in Santa
Fe, N. Mex. He was 80.
The tall, gregariouS soldier
diplomat had not been i'll. He
apparently died Of a heart at
tack.
Nearly 20 years ago, after
resigning as Ambassador to
China, Gen. Hurley charged
that some State Department
personnel had advocated poll
cies which tended to favor a
Communist takeover in China.
In 1916, he made the first
Of three unsuccessful attempts
to win a Senate seat. The
Democratic incumbent, Sena-
tor Dennis Chavez, defeated
him in q close race in New
Mexico. He won the States Re-
publican nomination again in
1948 but was soundly beaten
by Senator Clinton P. Ander-
son.
Lost Election Contest
In 1852, overcoming opposi-
ton in the Republican Party,
he was nominated to face SEN
ator Chavez again. The latter
won by some 5000 votes. Gen.
Hurley contested the election
and the dispute continued for
a year and a half. ending on
March 3. 1854, when the Sen
ate, in a roll-call vote of SO
to SO. refused to unseat Sena-
tor Chavez.
HIS controversial wartime
service in China drew more
public attention last year when
the State Department, in March,
released the long secret China
papers of 1913.
Included in the 901-page Sc
cret packet was a l943 report
to President Franklin D. Roose-
welt from Gen. Hurley, who
earlier that year had been APP
pointed President RooSevelt's
personal representative in the
Near East and the Middle
East.
Report on China
In his report, Gen. Hurley
said that GeneralisSimo Chang
Kai-shek and the Chinese peo-
pie, on the whole, favored de-
mocracy and would follow Mr..
Roosevelt's leadership. But. he
said, the central Chinese gov
eminent gave Importance to
conserving its strength for
maintenance of it's postwar
internal supremacy as against
the more immediate objective
Of defeating Japan"
He also declared that Gen.
eralissimo Chang had grave
doubts about attending the
Yalta conference with Soviet
Premier Stain because of Sta
Inns desire to communize China.
"n my opinion" Gen. Hurley
said, Marshal Stain is now
committed to the proposition
that communism can succeed
in Russia alone without an at
tempt being made to force it
on the rest of the world"
Says Situation Changed
After release of the secret
paper last year, Gen. Hurley
declared that the entire world
situation had changed between
1913, when the report was
made, and the Yalta confer
ence in 1945.
"The United States had by
that time saved the Soviet
(Union) and Stain changed
his policy completely" he said.
He added: II opposed giving
lend-lease or any other kind
of aid to the Chinese Commu-
nists, for the reason that the
United States was allied with
the national government of
the Republic Of China, which
was democratic and not Com
munist."
The generals resigna-
ton as United States Ambassa-
dor to China was considered a
protest against President Tru-
mans augmentation of the
Yalta agreement, under which
Russia entered the war against
Japan.
Charge Aired
Shortly after he abruptly
quit his China post in Novem-
Der, 1945, Gen. Hurley ap-
peared before the Senate For
eign Relations Committee to
air his charge that career
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