Ask the Scholar

Page 90 of 177
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 90

OCR

192 85-3 -2- lose by making peace with Japan; but on the other side of the picture there are (1) the recent "three demands" by the Generalissimo with the suggestion of peace with Japan as the alternative, and (2) the manner in which the Generalis- simo and China have been built up by propaganda in the United States to a point where it might be possible for the General- issimo to make a peace with Japan and yet get by with the people of the United States by saying that China has been isolated, can no longer receive outeide aid, and perforce has had temporarily to make a peace with Japan, a peace which will be set aside as soon as China can regather strength. I remarked that I had no information of the "three demands" made by the Generalissimo to which General Stilwell referred; I had been told nothing of them. I asked what they were; and I had to repeat my inquiry several times in the course of the conversation that followed before he finally told me that the Generalissimo demanded (1) three Ameriean divisions in India, with the necessary auxiliary troops (2) 500 combat airplanes, which moant 1,000 since there must be about the same number in reserve, and (3) 5,000 tons of supplies by air transport monthly. I asked wy Chiang wanted three divisions in India; Stilwell replied that of course Chiang would like to have them in Chine, but India is mentioned as the Dase for a drive to re-take Burma to re-epen the route of Supply to China. Stilwell said that the Generolissimo is sticking to these demands; he will not listen to reason; he will not accept figures showing that, for example, it is not possible to supply and service 500 combat planes in China (stilwell mentioned that the supplies of gas and bombs in the country would only service the present small air force we have sent in for six months in earrying out the limited missions assigned to them); he will wave aside information showing that it would be necessary to build five now air fields near Kunming to service the transport planes necessary to bring in 5,000 tons a month - and 5,000 tons represented about what it would take to supplir 500 combat planes. By further questioning I developed more of the conver- sation which had taken place between the Generalissimo and Stilwell (with Madame Chiang present). He said that the Generalissimo insisted upon the aid indieated (the three demands; but he duitted there were also "some other things" he wanted) or he would have "to make other arrangements". Stilwell said that he inquired whether he understood correctly the statement that the Generolissimo would "have to make other arrangements* and this had been put back to the Gen- eralissimo in Chinese by Madame Chiang and he had confirmed the statement. I commented to Stilwell that the report as it had reached mo through Colonel Mayer, my Military Attache, was to the effect that the Generalissimo had been greatly irritated at information conveyed by Stilwell that certain American air support had been diverted to the Middle East and had said to Stilwell that he wished to know whether Warhington still considered the China theater worthy of aid - this, in order that he might plan for the future - and that it was Madame Chiang who had made the aside in English that this implied peace with Japan. I had not been told of the Generalissimo's three demands. When Colonel May er ARCHIVES "INATIONAL REGUROS : SERVICE" A

Page data

Page
90
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
bf55aaa656beaa52
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
750245
Core
doc
Type
document
DTO data
{
    "id": "750245",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/750245",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Foreign Affairs File, 1940-1953: China: \"Documents on Diplomatic Aspects of Efforts by the United States to Supply China with Materials of War under the Lend-Lease Act, 1940-47\": Part II: 1942",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/750245",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750245/750245-01-001.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750245/750245-01-001.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750245/750245-01-001.jpg",
    "imageCount": 177,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "750245",
    "label": "Foreign Affairs File, 1940-1953: China: \"Documents on Diplomatic Aspects of Efforts by the United States to Supply China with Materials of War under the Lend-Lease Act, 1940-47\": Part II: 1942",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/750245"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "750245",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/750245",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Foreign Affairs File, 1940-1953: China: \"Documents on Diplomatic Aspects of Efforts by the United States to Supply China with Materials of War under the Lend-Lease Act, 1940-47\": Part II: 1942",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/750245",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750245/750245-01-001.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750245/750245-01-001.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750245/750245-01-001.jpg",
    "imageCount": 177,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/750245",
    "naId": 750245,
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 90,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750245/750245-01-090.jpg",
    "mediaId": "bf55aaa656beaa52",
    "ocrText": "192\n85-3\n-2-\nlose by making peace with Japan; but on the other side of\nthe picture there are (1) the recent \"three demands\" by the\nGeneralissimo with the suggestion of peace with Japan as\nthe alternative, and (2) the manner in which the Generalis-\nsimo and China have been built up by propaganda in the United\nStates to a point where it might be possible for the General-\nissimo to make a peace with Japan and yet get by with the\npeople of the United States by saying that China has been\nisolated, can no longer receive outeide aid, and perforce\nhas had temporarily to make a peace with Japan, a peace\nwhich will be set aside as soon as China can regather\nstrength.\nI remarked that I had no information of the \"three\ndemands\" made by the Generalissimo to which General Stilwell\nreferred; I had been told nothing of them. I asked what\nthey were; and I had to repeat my inquiry several times in\nthe course of the conversation that followed before he\nfinally told me that the Generalissimo demanded (1) three\nAmeriean divisions in India, with the necessary auxiliary\ntroops (2) 500 combat airplanes, which moant 1,000 since\nthere must be about the same number in reserve, and (3)\n5,000 tons of supplies by air transport monthly. I asked\nwy Chiang wanted three divisions in India; Stilwell replied\nthat of course Chiang would like to have them in Chine, but\nIndia is mentioned as the Dase for a drive to re-take Burma\nto re-epen the route of Supply to China. Stilwell said that\nthe Generolissimo is sticking to these demands; he will not\nlisten to reason; he will not accept figures showing that,\nfor example, it is not possible to supply and service 500\ncombat planes in China (stilwell mentioned that the supplies\nof gas and bombs in the country would only service the present\nsmall air force we have sent in for six months in earrying out\nthe limited missions assigned to them); he will wave aside\ninformation showing that it would be necessary to build five\nnow air fields near Kunming to service the transport planes\nnecessary to bring in 5,000 tons a month - and 5,000 tons\nrepresented about what it would take to supplir 500 combat\nplanes.\nBy further questioning I developed more of the conver-\nsation which had taken place between the Generalissimo and\nStilwell (with Madame Chiang present). He said that the\nGeneralissimo insisted upon the aid indieated (the three\ndemands; but he duitted there were also \"some other things\"\nhe wanted) or he would have \"to make other arrangements\".\nStilwell said that he inquired whether he understood correctly\nthe statement that the Generolissimo would \"have to make\nother arrangements* and this had been put back to the Gen-\neralissimo in Chinese by Madame Chiang and he had confirmed\nthe statement.\nI commented to Stilwell that the report as it had\nreached mo through Colonel Mayer, my Military Attache, was\nto the effect that the Generalissimo had been greatly\nirritated at information conveyed by Stilwell that certain\nAmerican air support had been diverted to the Middle East\nand had said to Stilwell that he wished to know whether\nWarhington still considered the China theater worthy of\naid - this, in order that he might plan for the future -\nand that it was Madame Chiang who had made the aside in\nEnglish that this implied peace with Japan. I had not been\ntold of the Generalissimo's three demands. When Colonel\nMay er\nARCHIVES \"INATIONAL REGUROS\n:\nSERVICE\"\nA"
}