893.00/11–547: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 6—7:33 a.m.]
2198. North Shensi news broadcasts for 2–week period ending October 15 were devoted mainly to war propaganda and to depicting American foreign policy as an imperialistic plan for expansion and for colonization of China.
Much emphasis in war news was placed on alleged victories of southern expedition armies of Generals Liu Po-cheng and Chen Keng. Accounts of these successes were said to have spurred people of “liberated areas” on to exerting even greater efforts in production of food and clothing for new counter-offensive. Strike of communications workers in Shanghai was contrasted to alleged enthusiasm of workers in Communist areas. Specific instances were cited in which many peasants were reported to be voluntarily donating most of their wheat crop, which was grown on land they acquired under land reform, to army. So-called autumn offensive of General Lin-Piao’s army in Manchuria was hailed as important development of war. There were several articles dealing with “sagging morale” of Kmt troops and kind treatment Kmt captives were receiving at hands of Communists.
American foreign policy was consistently interpreted as proof of imperialistic plan for colonization of China and eventual world domination. One editorial considered US program of aid to Europe as scheme to force European countries to sacrifice their independence and sovereignty by permitting American interference in their domestic affairs in exchange for US loans. Bullitt’s loan proposal evoked such comment as “American imperialists value Chinese people at $3 apiece as cannon fodder” and “US warmonger Bullitt proposes to purchase China’s 450,000,000 people for 1,350,000,000 American dollars [Page 359] to fight for US under MacArthur’s command”.43 Bullitt’s proposal was reported to have won immediate applause from Chiang Kai-shek “thus nakedly exposing both butcher face of American imperialism and servile countenances of Chinese traitors.”
The remainder of broadcasts were devoted to violent denunciation of Canadian Govt as reactionary “for its criminal conduct of aiding Chiang in civil war” by selling 150 planes to Central Govt; publication of full text of Agrarian law which will be made subject of separate report; issuance of 67–slogan directive to military and political leaders on anniversary of Double Tenth which followed general line of “strike down Chiang Kai-shek and build a new China”; renewal of attack on UNRRA on occasion of General Rooks’44 arrival in China, expressing skepticism as to whether “UNRRA is going to change its erroneous policy of one-sided aid to Chiang Kai-shek’s civil war or whether it is going to continue to play the accomplice to Chiang”.
Dept please repeat to Moscow.