103.9166/2303
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Second Secretary of Embassy in China (Davies)47
Comments by Chou En-lai—October 11, 1942
In my conversation with Mr. Chou En-lai, I first raised the question of the alleged attack by Communist forces on General Yu Hsueh-chung, the commander of Central Government troops in Shantung. [Page 247] Mr. Chou asserted that there had been no Communist attack on General Yu, but that certain dissatisfied elements among General Yu’s Manchurian officers had mutinied. The mutiny, however, was not serious.
With regard to a reported worsening of relations between the Central Government and the Communists and alleged demands made by the Government that the Communists accept a position as one of several political parties, abandon their administrative control over certain areas and disband their armed forces or else expect punitive action, Mr. Chou remarked that to the contrary relations appeared to have improved somewhat. He himself had noticed no change in the attitude of the Central Government, but General Lin Piao (Communist general now visiting Chungking) reported having been agreeably entertained in Sian by General Hu Tsung-nan.
Mr. Chou stated that no Central Government troops had yet entered Sinkiang, but that three armies were in Kansu waiting to enter Chinese Turkestan. In his opinion, Sinkiang can easily be taken over by the Central Government, provided that the Government does not rush matters. He observed that Sinkiang authorities were men of little ability. In reply to my question about Soviet troops in Sinkiang, he declared that there were only some white Russians and former Manchurian troops, plus, of course, the provincial forces.
[Here follow observations on military situation and military proficiency.]
You47a may be interested, as a sort of postscript, in some of Mr. Chou’s observations on the Generalissimo. He proclaimed his loyalty to General Chiang, declaring that the Generalissimo was not the leader of one party or faction but of the whole people. To my question whether anyone spoke out his mind to the Generalissimo, he replied in the affirmative. The Generalissimo answers such frankness in this fashion, Mr. Chou explained. To the old and venerable he replies, “Your heart is good, you are experienced, but you do not understand progressive methods.” To the young enthusiast he replies, “Your heart is good, you understand progressive methods, but you are without experience.” And to the non-Kuomintang elements he says, “You have had experience, your method seems to be progressive, but your motives are suspect.”