Ask the Scholar
Page 3 of 3
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
President Harry S. Truman
-2-
February 13, 1946
It was surprising to read your reference to such widely
reported facts as "wild charges".
It is true, of course, as your letter states, that the
United States recognizes the Chungking government and that alone.
It is also true that the sound policy followed by former Ambassa-
dor Gauss, most forcefully re-enunciated in your own recent
statement, and so brilliantly applied by General Marshall has been
and is to get the Kuomintang, the Democratic League, independent
groups, and the Communist forces together for the purpose of form-
ing a truly representative government, based on law, and dedicated
to ending the unspeakable poverty and backwardness of the Chinese
people.
You will understand my astonishment, therefore, I am sure,
and my unwillingness to believe that you had yourself agreed to
send out over your signature a letter which stated, in part,
"Generalissimo Stalin says the so called Chinese Communists
are nothing but bandits and he has nothing whatever to do with them.
"Those people in this country who are more loyal to the Russian
Government than they are to their own should consider this carefully
before making wild charges which have no foundation and fact."
Clearly, the Chinese Communists cannot at once be bandits and
of no consequence and at the same time leaders of such consequence
that American policy is to get them and the Generalissimo together
as the starting point of a truly representative government in China.
Moreover, it is clearly out of context in our exchange of cor-
respondence and wholly incompatible, both with our Government's
efforts to cement friendly relations with the Soviet Government and
with our own re-established policy in China, to intimate that
millions of Americans are more loyal to the Russian Government than
to our own simply because they want to get our troops home and to
see all Chinese, including the strong Chinese Communist movement,
brought together into a progressive, new democracy.
After all, it is our Government and yourself as its chief and
honored spokesman who have proclaimed those to be our objectives in
China.
I would appreciate the opportunity of discussing this subject
further with you, and will telephone for an appointment at your con-
venience.
Respectfully yours,
hd:br
HUGH DE LACY, M. Lary C.
CATIONAL the
Page data
- Page
- 3
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 7c5ac2a7be1525ad
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 205716138
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "205716138",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716138",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Congressman Hugh De Lacy",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716138",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-08-01.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-08-01.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-08-01.jpg",
"imageCount": 3,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "205716138",
"label": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Congressman Hugh De Lacy",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716138"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "205716138",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716138",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Congressman Hugh De Lacy",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716138",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-08-01.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-08-01.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-08-01.jpg",
"imageCount": 3,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716138",
"naId": 205716138,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"logicalDate": "1946-02-01",
"month": 2,
"year": 1946
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 3,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-08-03.jpg",
"mediaId": "7c5ac2a7be1525ad",
"ocrText": "President Harry S. Truman\n-2-\nFebruary 13, 1946\nIt was surprising to read your reference to such widely\nreported facts as \"wild charges\".\nIt is true, of course, as your letter states, that the\nUnited States recognizes the Chungking government and that alone.\nIt is also true that the sound policy followed by former Ambassa-\ndor Gauss, most forcefully re-enunciated in your own recent\nstatement, and so brilliantly applied by General Marshall has been\nand is to get the Kuomintang, the Democratic League, independent\ngroups, and the Communist forces together for the purpose of form-\ning a truly representative government, based on law, and dedicated\nto ending the unspeakable poverty and backwardness of the Chinese\npeople.\nYou will understand my astonishment, therefore, I am sure,\nand my unwillingness to believe that you had yourself agreed to\nsend out over your signature a letter which stated, in part,\n\"Generalissimo Stalin says the so called Chinese Communists\nare nothing but bandits and he has nothing whatever to do with them.\n\"Those people in this country who are more loyal to the Russian\nGovernment than they are to their own should consider this carefully\nbefore making wild charges which have no foundation and fact.\"\nClearly, the Chinese Communists cannot at once be bandits and\nof no consequence and at the same time leaders of such consequence\nthat American policy is to get them and the Generalissimo together\nas the starting point of a truly representative government in China.\nMoreover, it is clearly out of context in our exchange of cor-\nrespondence and wholly incompatible, both with our Government's\nefforts to cement friendly relations with the Soviet Government and\nwith our own re-established policy in China, to intimate that\nmillions of Americans are more loyal to the Russian Government than\nto our own simply because they want to get our troops home and to\nsee all Chinese, including the strong Chinese Communist movement,\nbrought together into a progressive, new democracy.\nAfter all, it is our Government and yourself as its chief and\nhonored spokesman who have proclaimed those to be our objectives in\nChina.\nI would appreciate the opportunity of discussing this subject\nfurther with you, and will telephone for an appointment at your con-\nvenience.\nRespectfully yours,\nhd:br\nHUGH DE LACY, M. Lary C.\nCATIONAL the"
}