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TOP SCUTE SEORET
DECLASSIFIED
E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E)
WAR DEPARTMENT
OSD letter, April 12, 1974
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF
By NLT-
H
,
NARS Date 7-14-7
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
GOLD-1663
October 17, 1946
Dear Mr. President:
Since my message of October 10, GOLD-1627, Doctor Stuart has had
frequent interviews with Government officials, the leading member of the
Democratic League and the leading members of the Young China Party, as well
as with nonparty men of prominence. A lengthy message from Shanghai dated
October 9 was received by me from General Chou which was transmitted to the
Government. It is repeated to you in GOLD-1662. The Generalissimo made a
broadcast on the 10th reiterating his standard reasons therefor.
As a result of the interviews with Doctor Stuart, a group representative
of the leadership in the Democratic League and the Young China Party proceeded
to Shanghai with the purpose of conducing General Chou to return to Nanking.
Unfortunately at the same time without notice to us the Government issued an
official confirmation of the date for the National Assembly, November 12. This
aroused strong feeling in all minority parties and made it impossible to
persuade General Chou to return to Nanking. The Generalissimo in explanation
to Doctor Stuart and me stated that the formal confirmation of the November 12
date was merely a routine procedure, a matter to which he felt no proper objection
could be taken. The regulations of the Kuomintang required a formal notification
and confirmation one month before the date of meeting. The minority parties on
the other hand claimed that this is a matter of great importance to them and an
evidence of unilateral and dictatorial action on the part of the Government.
Doctor Stuart and I thought the proclamation at that time was tactless, an
unnecessary irritation, but it did not appeal to us as a matter of great moment.
However leaders of the Democratic League insisted that it was of great moment
and we would make a serious tactical error in not considering it as such. Their
reasoning stems from an oral discussion and claimed agreement on April 24
between representatives of all the parties and the Generalissimo at the time of
the decision to postpone the meeting of assembly scheduled for April 5.
Since October 10, Doctor Stuart and I have had frequent interviews with the
Generalissimo, which finally resulted last night in the issuance by him of a
public statement based on my original proposed statement (see GOLD-1588) with
modification by him in the introduction, with additions by me to the conditions
or understandings, which in turn the Government modified in part see GOLD-1661).
The most serious modification related to the exclusion of Manchuria from the
regions in which the Government agreed to settle the question of local government
in the State Council. However the Government conceded that the location of
troops, Communists and Government alike, would be settled by the Committee of
Three and, probably most important of all that the Constitutional Draft Committee
would be immediately convened and its draft would be the basis for discussions by
the National Assembly.
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"ocrText": "TOP SCUTE SEORET\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E)\nWAR DEPARTMENT\nOSD letter, April 12, 1974\nOFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF\nBy NLT-\nH\n,\nNARS Date 7-14-7\nWASHINGTON 25, D. C.\nGOLD-1663\nOctober 17, 1946\nDear Mr. President:\nSince my message of October 10, GOLD-1627, Doctor Stuart has had\nfrequent interviews with Government officials, the leading member of the\nDemocratic League and the leading members of the Young China Party, as well\nas with nonparty men of prominence. A lengthy message from Shanghai dated\nOctober 9 was received by me from General Chou which was transmitted to the\nGovernment. It is repeated to you in GOLD-1662. The Generalissimo made a\nbroadcast on the 10th reiterating his standard reasons therefor.\nAs a result of the interviews with Doctor Stuart, a group representative\nof the leadership in the Democratic League and the Young China Party proceeded\nto Shanghai with the purpose of conducing General Chou to return to Nanking.\nUnfortunately at the same time without notice to us the Government issued an\nofficial confirmation of the date for the National Assembly, November 12. This\naroused strong feeling in all minority parties and made it impossible to\npersuade General Chou to return to Nanking. The Generalissimo in explanation\nto Doctor Stuart and me stated that the formal confirmation of the November 12\ndate was merely a routine procedure, a matter to which he felt no proper objection\ncould be taken. The regulations of the Kuomintang required a formal notification\nand confirmation one month before the date of meeting. The minority parties on\nthe other hand claimed that this is a matter of great importance to them and an\nevidence of unilateral and dictatorial action on the part of the Government.\nDoctor Stuart and I thought the proclamation at that time was tactless, an\nunnecessary irritation, but it did not appeal to us as a matter of great moment.\nHowever leaders of the Democratic League insisted that it was of great moment\nand we would make a serious tactical error in not considering it as such. Their\nreasoning stems from an oral discussion and claimed agreement on April 24\nbetween representatives of all the parties and the Generalissimo at the time of\nthe decision to postpone the meeting of assembly scheduled for April 5.\nSince October 10, Doctor Stuart and I have had frequent interviews with the\nGeneralissimo, which finally resulted last night in the issuance by him of a\npublic statement based on my original proposed statement (see GOLD-1588) with\nmodification by him in the introduction, with additions by me to the conditions\nor understandings, which in turn the Government modified in part see GOLD-1661).\nThe most serious modification related to the exclusion of Manchuria from the\nregions in which the Government agreed to settle the question of local government\nin the State Council. However the Government conceded that the location of\ntroops, Communists and Government alike, would be settled by the Committee of\nThree and, probably most important of all that the Constitutional Draft Committee\nwould be immediately convened and its draft would be the basis for discussions by\nthe National Assembly.\nTOP SECRET\n- 1 -"
}