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SPORET
matic personnel on the basis of merit and ability, but filled posts with politicians ousted
from office and protégés of powerful political figures.
(a) Shanghai.
Chinese administration of the city of Shanghai has proved incapable
of providing orderly government, as exemplified recently by two unruly episodes. A
crowd of disgruntled employees seized possession of the French consulate in the former
French concession. An appeal by the owners of the premises for police intervention
was waived by the municipal authorities, on the grounds that no property damage
or personal injury had ensued. In midsummer, a minor dispute at one of the city's
theatres developed into a bloody clash between municipal police and military gen-
darmerie. This led to a city-wide police strike, causing traffic confusion and endanger-
ing the persons and property of both Chinese and foreign residents. In this instance,
the root of the conflict lay in the overlapping authority of the civilian municipal gov-
ernment and the military administration still superimposed over the city.
(b) Manchuria.
The attempt of the National Government to recover effective control
over Manchuria has been unsuccessful, not only because of Communist military op-
position but also because of maladministration and graft. A dual system of control,
under Tu Yu-ming and Hsiung Shih-hui, the highest military and political authorities
respectively, resulted in jealous rivalry and continual controversy. In August 1947,
after more than a year of maladministration, the National Government finally moved
to correct this situation by abolishing the Northeast military command and uniting
both military and civil administrations under the Chief-of-Staff Chen Cheng. This
corrective measure may have come too late, however, to repair the prestige of the Na-
tional Government in Manchuria where, instead of drawing upon native Manchurians
to fill government posts, the National Government brought in outsiders who have
treated the local population as inferiors and have exploited their positions for private
gain. There has been in effect a sort of "carpetbag rule," which has not only made
the National Government unpopular with the native population but has accelerated
economic deterioration in Manchuria.
(c) Taiwan.
The record of the National Government in Taiwan (Formosa) is
even more sordid. This island, which enjoyed a high degree of industrial development
under the Japanese, emerged from the war with little damage. Under Chinese ad-
ministration, however, the economy of Taiwan has disintegrated, and the Nationalist
regime has become intensely unpopular. The Chinese governor, Chen Yi, who had
compiled an unsavory record during previous governorships of Fukien and Chekiang,
placed mainland Chinese in all desirable positions, retained some Japanese technicians
as advisers, and awarded only very subordinate positions to Taiwanese. As a con-
sequence, the native population found it had merely exchanged Japanese domination
for subjugation under mainland Chinese.
Whereas Japanese exploitation of Taiwan had been orderly and
efficient, Chinese administration has been characterized by lawlessness, economic decay,
and industrial stagnation. Chinese officials, often unqualified for the posts they occupy,
I-11
SECRET
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"ocrText": "SPORET\nmatic personnel on the basis of merit and ability, but filled posts with politicians ousted\nfrom office and protégés of powerful political figures.\n(a) Shanghai.\nChinese administration of the city of Shanghai has proved incapable\nof providing orderly government, as exemplified recently by two unruly episodes. A\ncrowd of disgruntled employees seized possession of the French consulate in the former\nFrench concession. An appeal by the owners of the premises for police intervention\nwas waived by the municipal authorities, on the grounds that no property damage\nor personal injury had ensued. In midsummer, a minor dispute at one of the city's\ntheatres developed into a bloody clash between municipal police and military gen-\ndarmerie. This led to a city-wide police strike, causing traffic confusion and endanger-\ning the persons and property of both Chinese and foreign residents. In this instance,\nthe root of the conflict lay in the overlapping authority of the civilian municipal gov-\nernment and the military administration still superimposed over the city.\n(b) Manchuria.\nThe attempt of the National Government to recover effective control\nover Manchuria has been unsuccessful, not only because of Communist military op-\nposition but also because of maladministration and graft. A dual system of control,\nunder Tu Yu-ming and Hsiung Shih-hui, the highest military and political authorities\nrespectively, resulted in jealous rivalry and continual controversy. In August 1947,\nafter more than a year of maladministration, the National Government finally moved\nto correct this situation by abolishing the Northeast military command and uniting\nboth military and civil administrations under the Chief-of-Staff Chen Cheng. This\ncorrective measure may have come too late, however, to repair the prestige of the Na-\ntional Government in Manchuria where, instead of drawing upon native Manchurians\nto fill government posts, the National Government brought in outsiders who have\ntreated the local population as inferiors and have exploited their positions for private\ngain. There has been in effect a sort of \"carpetbag rule,\" which has not only made\nthe National Government unpopular with the native population but has accelerated\neconomic deterioration in Manchuria.\n(c) Taiwan.\nThe record of the National Government in Taiwan (Formosa) is\neven more sordid. This island, which enjoyed a high degree of industrial development\nunder the Japanese, emerged from the war with little damage. Under Chinese ad-\nministration, however, the economy of Taiwan has disintegrated, and the Nationalist\nregime has become intensely unpopular. The Chinese governor, Chen Yi, who had\ncompiled an unsavory record during previous governorships of Fukien and Chekiang,\nplaced mainland Chinese in all desirable positions, retained some Japanese technicians\nas advisers, and awarded only very subordinate positions to Taiwanese. As a con-\nsequence, the native population found it had merely exchanged Japanese domination\nfor subjugation under mainland Chinese.\nWhereas Japanese exploitation of Taiwan had been orderly and\nefficient, Chinese administration has been characterized by lawlessness, economic decay,\nand industrial stagnation. Chinese officials, often unqualified for the posts they occupy,\nI-11\nSECRET"
}