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-2-
The Military Attaché, when he returned recently from a
visit to the Chekiang-Kiangsi front, informed me that
while there were no medicines or medical supplies for the
troops, quinine and such drugs were being sold on the streets
of the cities and towns, at very high prices. I know that
the American Red Cross and other relief organizations have
been alert to the rumors circulating from time to time that
medicines intended for relief purposes were being sold
privately. I have no doubt that they have taken and will
continue to take all possible measures to prevent supolies
reaching private hands for sale; and I do not believe that
the more responsible Chinese orgenizations to which supplies
are distributed are parties to such misappropristion.
In a country such as China, and with large quantities
of supplies being handled, it is not surprising that some
supplies may be stolen or misappropriated and sold for
private gain.
In transmitting the enclosed memorandum from Secretary
Service, I do not wish to suggest that any serious situation
exists as to lend-lease and relief supplies; but it is well
to record the reports which hava reached the Embassy from
time to time as well as the observations made by Mr. Service
on his trip to the northwest.
In connection with this general subject, I might
mention that some months ago the NEW YORK TIMES local
correspondent at Chungking, who is somewhet inclined to
exaggeration and to a florid type of reporting, filed a
message to his paper stating that lend-lease and relief
supplies from Burma were being sold privately in Free
China, that steps had been taken by the Chinese authorities
to detect the unauthorized possession of such goods, and
that the measures taken were so drastic that in Chungking
persons appearing in "shorts" fashioned of a cloth supplied
only for military purposes were being made by the police
publicly to remove the garments and hand them over.
This telegram appears to have slipped past the censors
and to have been published in New York with a resulting
sharp complaint from Dr. T. V. Soong to the Generalissimo.
Dr. Hollington Tong, Vice Minister of Information, in charge
of press cable censorship, was held accountable for the
report having been passed by the censors. Dr. Follington
Tong telephoned to the Embassy and asked that I be informed
that he proposed to withdraw the press-telegraph card of
the NEW YORK TIMES correspondent. I advised quietly against
any such action, pointing out that the NEW YORK TIMES was
most friendly and favorable to China in its editorial and
news policy, and that the withdrawal of facilities accorded
to its corresponden ouid not serve the best interests of
China. I sugg
ed
it if the TIMES correspondent had
transmitted a cause report and was unwilling to correct
it, the matter might appropriately be taken up with the
NEW YORK TIMES through this Embassy or the Chinese Embassy
in Washington. I heard nothing more of the matter. The
TIMES correspondent did not approa ch the Embassy in regard
to
ess. SERVICE" AND
suaccoros
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"ocrText": "132-2\n246\n-2-\nThe Military Attaché, when he returned recently from a\nvisit to the Chekiang-Kiangsi front, informed me that\nwhile there were no medicines or medical supplies for the\ntroops, quinine and such drugs were being sold on the streets\nof the cities and towns, at very high prices. I know that\nthe American Red Cross and other relief organizations have\nbeen alert to the rumors circulating from time to time that\nmedicines intended for relief purposes were being sold\nprivately. I have no doubt that they have taken and will\ncontinue to take all possible measures to prevent supolies\nreaching private hands for sale; and I do not believe that\nthe more responsible Chinese orgenizations to which supplies\nare distributed are parties to such misappropristion.\nIn a country such as China, and with large quantities\nof supplies being handled, it is not surprising that some\nsupplies may be stolen or misappropriated and sold for\nprivate gain.\nIn transmitting the enclosed memorandum from Secretary\nService, I do not wish to suggest that any serious situation\nexists as to lend-lease and relief supplies; but it is well\nto record the reports which hava reached the Embassy from\ntime to time as well as the observations made by Mr. Service\non his trip to the northwest.\nIn connection with this general subject, I might\nmention that some months ago the NEW YORK TIMES local\ncorrespondent at Chungking, who is somewhet inclined to\nexaggeration and to a florid type of reporting, filed a\nmessage to his paper stating that lend-lease and relief\nsupplies from Burma were being sold privately in Free\nChina, that steps had been taken by the Chinese authorities\nto detect the unauthorized possession of such goods, and\nthat the measures taken were so drastic that in Chungking\npersons appearing in \"shorts\" fashioned of a cloth supplied\nonly for military purposes were being made by the police\npublicly to remove the garments and hand them over.\nThis telegram appears to have slipped past the censors\nand to have been published in New York with a resulting\nsharp complaint from Dr. T. V. Soong to the Generalissimo.\nDr. Hollington Tong, Vice Minister of Information, in charge\nof press cable censorship, was held accountable for the\nreport having been passed by the censors. Dr. Follington\nTong telephoned to the Embassy and asked that I be informed\nthat he proposed to withdraw the press-telegraph card of\nthe NEW YORK TIMES correspondent. I advised quietly against\nany such action, pointing out that the NEW YORK TIMES was\nmost friendly and favorable to China in its editorial and\nnews policy, and that the withdrawal of facilities accorded\nto its corresponden ouid not serve the best interests of\nChina. I sugg\ned\nit if the TIMES correspondent had\ntransmitted a cause report and was unwilling to correct\nit, the matter might appropriately be taken up with the\nNEW YORK TIMES through this Embassy or the Chinese Embassy\nin Washington. I heard nothing more of the matter. The\nTIMES correspondent did not approa ch the Embassy in regard\nto\ness. SERVICE\" AND\nsuaccoros"
}