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Show Wallace Visit Improves CM Sino-American Relations V:4J . I :' - I A : Chinese Officials Build Hopes on Vice Presi- tyy ? i ; ; dent's Trip; True Economic Plight of Hi Country Known Only Recently. By BAUKHAGE Vrus Analyst and Commentator. circulating stories no matter how true they might be. Finally, however, the truth came to be more and more widely disseminated, dis-seminated, and the papers and magazines were filled with stories from writers returning to America and freed from the bond of censorship. censor-ship. To some degree, the Chinese nnw realize that too much censor-s'lip censor-s'lip has hurt them. Threatened With Collapse Personally I think this publicity has served to help rather than hurt. In any case, the time came when something had to be done. China was threatened with collapse right at the moment when bases within her territory we're becoming vital in the final assault on Japan. A courtesy visit from a high official offi-cial became not only a wise move but a necessity, and there are reasons, not immediately evident on the surface, why Vice President Wallace's trip may do much to alleviate alle-viate China's difficulties. In the first place, whatever you may think of the views expressed by Vice President Wallace or how well you think you understand them, the Chinese believe first, that he symbolizes the traditional friendship of America for China; and second, that he understands their problems. Then there is another vital factor, important from the standpoint of the morale of the Chinese people and their support of the present government, govern-ment, Mr. Wallace is the second highest officer of our government. Face counts high in the Far East. This official visit will give face to the Chungking government. It is clear that these factors are psychological and the intelligent Chinese, who are exceedingly wise in such matters, realize that fact, and count upon it highly. They feel, too, (from a more practical standpoint) that the Wallace Wal-lace visit will tend to increase American public interest in China and her troubles and will facilitate the efforts on the part of their diplomats diplo-mats to receive the goods they want. Hopeful Tinge That is the reason that almost overnight, the atmosphere surrounding surround-ing Sino-America contacts in Washington Wash-ington has taken on a more hopeful tinge. And the optimism of the Chinese has been greatly helped by the success of the Chinese troops fighting under General Stilwell and the Chinese offensive moving out of China toward a contact with Stilwell' Stil-well' s army. This military operation too, will be more than a mere military victory, vic-tory, if it is successful. Again, the psychological element is important. Success in Burma means the juncture junc-ture of the Ledo and Burma roads. There are many miles of road construction con-struction to be completed before the two highways are actually carrying heavy traffic over them but, nevertheless, never-theless, when they are joined, a severed artery will be mended, a wound will be healed. The moment the first allied work trucks begin to thread their way along this highway over an unobstructed route from and to the outside world, it will be as if fresh air were once more reaching reach-ing lungs strangling for breath. When the two highways are actually joined, they will soon be in operation, for much American technical tech-nical engineering, skill has been spent on the Burma road within China and its carrying capacity will be greatly increased. The arrival of the first truck-borne piece of freight and the handclasp of the Generalissimo and Vice President Presi-dent Wallace will be more than a political gesture, it will be a renewal of the friendship which has meant so much to China for more than a century and a half. ... BRIEFS: A large number of Dutchmen are living and training with American marines in camps throughout the United States. These men are undergoing under-going the same training given the American marines and wear the American uniform but with the Royal Netherlands insignia on collar and cap. India has the largest volunteer army in the world 2,000.000 men. WU Service, Union Trust Building Washington, D. C. Ever since the day when America as a nation was just a little over eight years old, and the first Yankee merchantman, flying the brand new stars and stripes, was welcomed in Canton harbor, the story of Chinese-American Chinese-American relations has been the story of a long and beautiful friendship. friend-ship. Recently, however, there has been considerable concern among the friends of China in Washington over the growing strain in those relations rela-tions which seemed gradually to be reaching a dangerous tension after seven years of war in which China has looked vainly to America for the aid that was not forthcoming. Now, two things have happened which have considerably eased the strain, and these two nations who need each other so much and between be-tween whom such a reservoir of good will, as Willkie called it, has been built up, are both breathing easier. One thing is the turn of the tide of battle ln Eurma for which much of the credit may be given to "Uncle Joe" Stilwell as leader of the Chinese-American forces. The other is the visit of Vice President Wallace Wal-lace to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Kai-shek. Today, Chinese officials are building build-ing high hopes on that visit They believe that Vhen the vice president returns, he will be able to stimulate stimu-late an understanding in America of what they consider China's greatest great-est affliction economic chaos. Nobody claims that China's troubles are limited to her economic situation. Some observers would put even the war, which is bad enough, second to political dissention which has only been prevented from outbreak out-break by an iron hand. But the thing that the Chinese government thinks would do the most good rightnow is consumer goods: medical . supplies and essential chemicals first; then probably clothing next and on down the line, including all the things one needs to carry on civilized existence in its simplest way. The Chinese don't quite agree with the way we use inflation to describe their internal situation although printing press money has been put into circulation to the tune of millions mil-lions of dollars and that Chinese financial resources have been scraped to the bone. , The True Story One Chinese official said to me: "If only we could get a bare 3,000 tons of goods a month from the outside, out-side, to be sold at prices controlled by the government, it would make , all the difference in the world. Twenty big cargo planes making ; regular trips would be enough to : carry it. j "You can buy a bottle of aspirin j for 50 cents in this country," he went on. "When we can get any aspirin in China, a single tablet costs that much. But the price is not so important. If we could get aspirin, (that is just an example) even if we had to set a price of, say five cents a tablet, it would serve our purpose. We are willing to stabilize prices, even if they must be at a high level, but we cannot stop inflation unless we have the consumer goods to sell." For a long time, the seriousness of China's financial situation has been known: the hardships the white collar class, the professional people's suffering; the lack of food and shoes and cartridges (to say nothing of artillery) for the army; but it is only recently that detailed stories have been widely printed and open discussion has taken place here. There were two reasons for the brake on revealing to America internal in-ternal conditions in China. In the first place, the Chinese did not wish their situation to be any more widely known than necessary, and for that reason. Chungking clamped down a wall of censorship on all news originating there. In the second place, Americans familiar with the facts and this applies ap-plies to many writers as well as America's government officials friendly in China did not wish to be in the position of perhaps damagii.g the morale of a loyal ally and certainly cer-tainly offending her government by B R I E F S . . . by Baukhage Viscount Nagakage Okabe. Japa-r- nese education minister, has announced an-nounced government plans to extend its thought control program by stepping step-ping up the activities of local Thought Measure Research Societies Soci-eties and by giving thought training to the heads of industrial organizations organiza-tions as well as to the many students of the societies. Buy War Bonds There has been considerable rivalry rival-ry between the Burmese and the immigrant Indians. The Burmese have found themselves at a disadvantage dis-advantage in competition with the more experienced Indian professional profes-sional and business men and with Indian labor, with its habitual thrift and its customary lower standard of living. Buy War Bonds |