CHINA: One Goal

"One heart, one soul,

One mind, one goal."

Last week on China's lucky "Double Tenth"—the tenth day of the tenth month—came the 34th anniversary of the Republic. In Shanghai, the populace went wild with joy released, and the city fathers spent $5,000,000 (about $7,000 U.S.) on street decorations. In Chungking, cheering crowds sang the unifying words of the new China's national anthem. For the first time in a decade they were not idle words. Peace had brought back a vision: a reunited China.

Somewhat less elated and carefree were the men who held the fate of nearly a fifth of mankind in their hands. On the eve of the national anniversary they were seated around a banqueting table in Chungking. Guest of honor was Mao Tse-tung, the Communist leader from Yenan, a man with destiny written in his strong face. Opposite him sat one of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's chief negotiators, shrewd General Chang Chih-chung. For 45 seesawing days the two men, backed by their aides, had pitted plan against plan to heal the breach between Communist China and Nationalist China. Now the time had arrived to give the outcome to China and the world.

Never had Chiang Kai-shek's Republic been closer to his goal of unity. Never, too, had the danger of national disunity been more real. And never, in all the long history of U.S. interest in China, had the U.S. been more deeply committed to China's future.

Then came the announcement. On many of the secondary issues, the Generalissimo and Communist Mao were hearteningly close. But on the primary issues, the issues basic to China's national weal, they were still far apart.

Hope & Reality. Chiang and Mao put the maximum emphasis upon their area of agreement—in principle:

¶ Under Generalissimo Chiang's leadership both the Kuomintang and the Communists will do their utmost to avoid civil war and build a free, prosperous China.

¶ An all-party political consultative council will be formed to discuss the end of the one-party rule of the Kuomintang. The Government will recognize that all political parties are equal before the law.

¶ China will have freedom of person, speech, conscience, press and assembly. Antifreedom laws will be annulled. Postponed, as a concession to the Communists, so that its composition could be broadened, was the National Assembly originally called for Nov. 12 to draft a new constitution.

¶ Special service organizations (e.g., secret police) will be abolished; only the judicial branch will have the right to arrest, try, punish.

¶ Political prisoners, except those convicted of treason, will be released. Communists have been invited to submit their list of candidates for release.

¶ Local self-government will be encouraged. But no amount of well-meant gloss could conceal the remaining, fundamental area of disagreement:

¶ Communists insisted on keeping control—through governors and mayors—of vital areas, mostly in North China. Chiang flatly rejected this concept of a dynamic, hostile state-within-a-state.