What the Gimo Thinks

POLICIES & PRINCIPLES

From Formosa, John Osborne, TIME-LIFE senior correspondent in the Far East, cabled:

GENERALISSIMO Chiang Kai-shek receives no correspondents and grants no interviews. However, his views on issues of major interest are well known in Taipei--partly through Chinese officials who have his ear, partly through public statements, such as a speech on the Soviet role in Asia delivered July 3. From these and other sources the following summary of the Generalissimo's current views on questions of vital interest to the U.S. was obtained last week:

Welcome Action. The Soviet Union is the active aggressor in Asia and the Chinese Communists are its principal servants in Asia. No policy and no action in Asia can be effective unless these conditions are fully recognized.

The only power in the world today which fully recognizes these conditions is the Nationalist government of China. There can be no intelligent and effective policy toward Nationalist China unless this is fully recognized.

It is idle to discuss any change or improvement in the relationships of Nationalist China and the U.S. Government until the U.S. has a policy in Asia. President Truman has now taken action in Asia and this action is very welcome; but it does not constitute a policy for Asia.

U.S. advice, consultation and actual participation in Nationalist China are welcomed in principle by the Generalissimo. He meant exactly what he said in his recent statement to the effect that any mission or force which General MacArthur cared to establish on Formosa would be welcomed. But the conditions attached to this attitude must be clearly understood by everyone concerned. First, the sovereignty of Nationalist China must not be infringed--it is of utmost importance that everyone understand that this principle will be upheld to any extent and in any way necessary by the Nationalist forces on Formosa. Nationalist China is not defenseless; it has large forces on Formosa, and they will defend Formosa against anyone who seeks to infringe the sovereignty of Nationalist China.

Paging MacArthur. However, no questions and no difficulties in this connection will arise if U.S. relationships with Nationalist China are placed in the hands of General Douglas MacArthur. The Generalissimo has unlimited confidence in MacArthur and would be happy to place the fate of Formosa and of Nationalist China in his hands. Chiang Kai-shek takes this attitude because he believes that MacArthur understands the nature of Communism in Asia; in particular he understands the nature and threat of Chinese Communism and the part that the Chinese Communists are playing for the Soviet Union in Asia. Therefore, it is of the first importance that General MacArthur be given full responsibility for all relationships, military and otherwise, between the U.S. and Nationalist China.

The Generalissimo does not lay this down precisely as a condition to improved relations and the acceptance of U.S. participation in Nationalist affairs'. But the clear implication is that he knows of no other American who is capable of directing an effective U.S. program in Asia and in particular of establishing satisfactory relationships with Nationalist China.

Ominous Tendency. However, it would be misleading to report these views without also reporting that a disturbing dislike of the U.S. and all things American is now evident in Taipei, that the Generalissimo is in a state of disturbing and potentially disastrous antipathy to the U.S. and to everything American.

Senior Chinese officers, U.S.-trained and known to be strongly pro-American, are being harassed, limited in authority and actually threatened with loss of their commands (and, some genuinely fear, their very lives). Whether this ominous tendency originates with the Generalissimo or with the clique of mainlanders who have followed him through all his reverses (and who have contributed so heavily to those reverses), is hotly argued in Taipei. But it is essentially a pointless argument. The important thing is that this debilitating and malicious anti-American trend be halted.

The U.S. Government can fairly demand that it be halted only when it cleans up its own attitude toward Nationalist China. The U.S. will be in a position to expect and require an attitude of thorough friendliness from Nationalist China only when President Truman compels his State Department to abandon its equally debilitating and equally malicious attitude of calculated hostility toward the Nationalist government.

Then and only then can the U.S. do what it very plainly must do--say with the utmost clarity and force that the Generalissimo can expect U.S. help, consultation and defense only if he accepts U.S. participation on reasonable terms and gives his competent commanders--and he has some--the freedom and authority which they must have to defend the last spot of earth left to him and to them.

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