File No. 893.00/2711
Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State
Peking, August 23, 1917.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose for your information two despatches4 of the Consuls General at Canton upon the situation there with respect to the effort to reassemble Parliament and to set up a Provisional Government.
From the point of view of general principles the parliamentary element and such men as C. T. Wang deserve a great deal of sympathy in their efforts to maintain the popular rights of representation against the more autocratic forms of government. Moreover, while the dissolved Parliament was by no means ideal, yet it had made evident progress in experience and political understanding.
[Page 100]The factors which oppose the success of the enterprise of the Kuo Min Tang leaders at Canton are as follows. The nation is not deeply interested in the dissolved Parliament, which had not impressed itself upon the people through ability, signal success or public service. Restoration of this particular Parliament is therefore not easily made a popular war cry. The most prominent leaders Sun Yat Sen and T’ang Shao-yi are discredited through their extreme radicalism and for other reasons. The military authorities at Canton are reluctant to put themselves entirely under such leadership; they appear opposed to the idea of a separate government. The Navy, which supports the radical element for some reason or other, does not count for much in the sum total of national affairs. The main factor is undoubtedly that there is no large supply of money with which to finance a separate government and military expeditions. Although it is reported that some money was advanced through German sources before the declaration of war and although there had been negotiations for Japanese support, it is evident that large amounts have not been realized.
The attitude of the Peking Government is as follows. The Premier desired to prepare for military action against the South. The President on the other hand, who has put himself in control of the military situation in the Yangtze Valley, seems to prefer to pursue a waiting policy and appears to be making efforts for arriving at an understanding with the Kuo Min Tang leaders of the South, especially those of more moderate tendencies.
I beg to refer also to my telegram of August 21, 4 p.m. dealing with this matter.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩