Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45

  ATC “will never be able”: to Stimson, 6 Oct 42, Stimson Papers. This letter, which forcefully argued the necessity of reopening the land route through Burma, was passed on by Stimson to the President (covering letter of 17 Oct 42).

  Stimson interview with Soong: 10 Oct 42, R&S*, 229.

  “Develop more of patience”: 6 Oct 42, Carmel A-21.

  “Boom from Burma”: CBI History, OSS Narrative, Annex B, Sec. 2.

  “He never told me what to do”: Gen. Wheeler to author.

  “Sleeve-jerking”: Eldridge, 149.

  Chinese map includes north Burma: Woodward, 425, n. 2.

  A million Indian laborers: Kirby, II, 301.

  Plan of campaign for Hankow: R&S*, 241.

  Memoranda for Soong: 27 Dec 42, Hoover, File 133; 2 Jan 43, Carmel A-22.

  “I read your profane message” (and Stilwell’s letter of 28 Nov 42, to which this was a reply): R&S*, 245, 247.

  Roberts on British: Matloff*, 347.

  Canceling the campaign: R&S*, 259.

  DSC ceremony: NYT, 17 Jan 43, editorial 19 Jan 43; Time, 25 Jan 43.

  Citation: WD General Orders No. 3, 15 Jan 43.

  14. THE PRESIDENT’S POLICY, JANUARY–MAY 1943

  Letter from Mrs. Quinn: FDRL, OF “150 China 43.”

  “Goddam it,” said a Congressman: Time, 1 Mar 43; other accounts, State Dept. press summary, 24 Feb 43.

  Lord Halifax: Woodward, 425, n. i.

  Madame’s tour: Tong, Dateline, 188–91; Sandburg in Washington Post, 14 Mar 43.

  Madame’s talk with Hopkins: Sherwood, 644, 660–61, 706; Hopkins mems, 24 and 30 Nov 43, Hopkins Papers.

  Madame at White House and Waldorf: Tully, 33–35.

  “You never saw a facial expression”: Dorn to author.

  FDR did not want Madame “too close”: Mrs. Halsted to author.

  “Hard as steel”: Eleanor Roosevelt, 249.

  Dinner table: ibid.

  Madame on watermelon incident: Marshall interview with R&S, 6 Jul 49.

  Leahy and Stimson quoted: Leahy, 154; Stimson Diary, 4 May 43.

  Press conference: verbatim report, State Dept. Radio Bulletin, No. 43, 19 Feb 43; Sevareid (who was present) to author.

  English cigarets: Blum, III, 106.

  “Just crazy to get her out”: ibid.

  FDR’s four principles: Welles, 151–52.

  “New epoch”: Feis, 62.

  Atcheson, “seriously deteriorating”: to State, 28 May 43, HP, File “Leahy.” (A copy of this report was sent by Hornbeck to Leahy in the White House.)

  Pearl Buck’s letter: Blum, III, 105.

  White’s Honan report: FDRL, PSF “China.”

  Atcheson urges a “determined offensive”: 28 May 43, cited above.

  “Could not stand another Bataan” and “a situation might arise”: R&S*, 270.

  Statements of the British and Admiral King: ibid., qtd. Feis, 55–56.

  Arnold-Somervill-Dill mission: SP, 196; Arnold, 407, 409, 413, 417–27; Sherwood, 681; Feis, 56–57; Blum, III, 194.

  Chinese Air Force: Gauss mem, 13 Mar 43, HP, File “Gauss.”

  Russians complained: Davies to Stilwell, 11 Jul, USFRC 42, 115.

  Chiang to Roosevelt, February 7: R&S*, 276.

  Wavell summary: ibid., 277.

  Arnold to Stilwell: 1 Mar 43, Carmel A-22.

  Roosevelt to Alsop: Roosevelt, Letters, II, 1361.

  Alsop’s letters: 10 Dec 42 (“before I have reached China”), 1 Mar 43, Hopkins Papers, Chinese Affairs.

  Begged to be recalled: to Stettinius, 12 Jan 43, HP, File “Alsop.”

  “Munching a porcupine”: Bryant*, 494.

  Roosevelt orders priority for Chennault: R&S*, 279–82. Roosevelt’s “Sultan of Morocco” letter, Stilwell’s letter to Marshall of 15 Mar 43 and Marshall’s reply to President are all here.

  Legion of Merit for Stilwell: mem of A/G, 28 Oct 43, 201 File; R&S*, 282, n. 51.

  Davies predicted: Report on Stilwell Mission, 9 Mar 43, Carmel A-22.

  Condition of the 30 divisions: S-Diary, 21 Jun 43 (SP, 208–209) and passim.

  Loss by death or desertion: Liu, 137.

  Kunming Training Center: CBI History, Master Narrative; Stilwell to Stimson, 21 Mar 43, Stimson Papers.

  American instructor quoted: Col. Thomas Arms, Jr., to author.

  Interpreters’ strike: ibid.

  Lung Yun and rubber tires: Ravdin, 202.

  Building the Road: Seagrave677, 15–27; CBI History, Master Narrative; R&S*, 341–45; Gen. Wheeler to author.

  Stilwell at the Polo Ground Mess: Jones to author; New York Herald Tribune, 16 Jun 43, UP from Chungking. This correspondent wrote that Stilwell’s “determination to assure the best possible treatment for men at the front is one of the reasons for his tremendous popularity.”

  “Am I through in China?” and other notes: Carmel A-22 and A-25.

  Ho Ying-chin diverts armies: CBI History, Master Narrative; SP, 208.

  Chennault and Stilwell summoned to Washington: SP, 203; R&S*, 317; NYT editorial, 30 Apr 43.

  Chiang-Chennault program: R&S*, 319.

  Chiang’s “personal assurance”: ibid., 320.

  Stilwell’s memorandum for President: 1 May 43, Hoover, File 61; text in R&S*, 323–24.

  Stilwell’s poor performance: Marshall interview with R&S, 6 Jul 49; Gen. Deane (then secretary to Combined Chiefs) to author.

  Stimson’s conversation with Stilwell: Stimson Diary, 30 Apr 43.

  Stimson’s telephone call and letter to President: Stimson Diary, 3 May 43.

  “Possibility of the collapse”: Leahy, 157.

  “We are his suckers”: undated mem summarizing the Conference, Hoover, File 61.

  “By-pass” Burma, Singapore the “only prize”: Churchill, IV, 793; VI, 143.

  Anthony Eden: Sherwood, 716.

  King could “raise holy hell”: Gunther, 45.

  King believed in Stilwell: King, 436, n. 12.

  Marshall on relations with President: interview with R&S, 13 Jul 49.

  Stilwell only one to call him George: Gen. Wedemeyer to author.

  Marshall’s quarrel with Hopkins, Chennault a “paid employee”: Sherwood, 739, 405.

  Marshall’s opinions of Chennault and Alsop: interview with R&S, 13 Jul 49.

  TRIDENT: BB, 13 (SP, 204–205); Stimson Diary, 21 and 22 May 43; R&S*, 320–35; Leahy, 161, 172; Churchill, IV, chap. 20; Hoover, File 61. The USFR volume on the TRIDENT Conference was not yet published at the time this book was in preparation.

  FDR asks opinions of Chiang Kai-shek: Chennault, 220.

  Eugene Meyer’s dinner: Davies, 81st Congress, Loyalty Hearings, 2095.

  Meeting with Churchill: S-Diary, 22 May 43, and mem for Stimson, Carmel A-22.

  Churchill on Stilwell: Sherwood, 958n.

  Reportedly threw teapots: 8 Jul 43, Stimson Papers.

  “Check on their tactics”: NYT, 1 Jun 43.

  “The other me”: S-Diary, 29 May 43.

  15. STILWELL MUST GO, JUNE–OCTOBER 1943

  ATC fliers’ attitude: Peers, 107–109; Eldridge, 174–76.

  Pipeline: A record of the extraordinary labor and ingenuity involved in laying the line over the river gorges of north Burma exists in Signal Corps Film HRE-7.

  Average American in China: White, Thunder, 161; Isaacs, No Peace, chap. 1, “American Soldiers in Asia.”

  Chinese attitude: Stevens to State (1 Apr), Penfield to State (6 May), Rice to State (2 Oct), USFRC 44, 48, 68, 163.

  “Caching gasoline”: Report of Col. Vincent, HQ, Forward Echelon Command, 29 Jul 43, Chennault Papers, 14th AF.

  Smuggling and Bordello affair: BB, “Chennault’s Whore House,” 18–19; CBI Roundup, 21 Dec 44; Chennault Papers, CID File; Report by Theater Inspector General, Col. S. F. Griswold, Kunming, 1 Jul 43, to CG USAF, CBI.

  Talk with Chiang Monlin: in full in SP, 214–15.

  “Field Chief of Staff”: undated draft mem for Marshall, “Situation as of Jun
e 43,” Carmel A-22; R&S*, 341.

  Chiang’s Legion of Merit: Film 208 UN 64.

  Citation: WD General Orders No. 38, 12 Jul 43.

  Letter to Marshall of July 23: R&S*, 353.

  Yeh Ming-ch’en: Fairbank, Reischauer and Craig, 170, n. 1.

  “Generally worthless”: After a joint staff conference in London, Davies reported to Stilwell that British planners thought the Chinese “generally worthless in the prosecution of the war against Japan.” Davies mem, “Policy Conflicts Among the United Nations,” September 1943, Carmel A-22.

  Winant to Davies: ibid.

  Roosevelt dissatisfied and conference of July 15: Sherwood, 739.

  SEAC lines of command: Mountbatten, 5; Stilwell in BB, 44, refers to a radio from Marshall calling the arrangement “cock-eyed.”

  Davies’ analysis of Britain: “Anglo-American Cooperation in East Asia,” 15 Nov 43, Carmel A-22.

  Wingate’s publicity and losses: Sykes, 367, 450.

  “We must all eat some crow” and Handy addendum: 26 Aug 43, Carmel A-22; R&S*, 366.

  Soong at Quebec: Marshall interview with R&S, 6 Jul 49.

  Stilwell’s long-range plan: “Role of China in the Defeat of Japan,” Hoover, File 211.

  Refused to pressure Marshall: Eldridge, 200.

  Senator Lodge’s talk: mem, 7 Oct 43, HP, File “China Relations with U.S.”

  Americans were discovering: Peffer, “Our Distorted View of China,” NYT Magazine, 7 Nov 43.

  OPD’s “Re-Analysis”: Matloff**, 326, n. 56.

  Stilwell’s plan for joint Kuomintang-Communist action: R&S*, 368.

  Chou En-lai’s reiterated invitation: Davies mem, “Conversation with Chou En-lai,” 16 Mar 43, Hoover, File 67.

  Rumors of civil war: Feis, 88–89.

  Stilwell asks for directive: 7 and 13 Jul, 5 and 12 Aug 43, qtd. Matloff**, 199.

  “Mismanagement and corruption”: to State, 22 Sep, USFRC 44, 161.

  Soong’s plan for removal of Stilwell: Feis, 77–78; R&S*, 375.

  White House No. 1 priority: Currie to Tully, 1 Jul 43, FDRL, PSF “China 43–45.”

  “Dear George” letter: R&S*, 375, n. 54.

  Marshall rejects Soong plan: R&S*, 375.

  Soong had President’s promise: 82nd Congress, IPR Hearings, Alsop testimony, 18 Oct 51, 1414.

  Marshall and Stimson consider recall: Stimson to Stilwell, 25 Oct 43, Carmel A-22; R&S*, 376.

  “Everything seems to go wrong”: 15 Oct 43, R&S*, 382.

  Eight-point plan for reform: “Program for China,” 29 Sep 43, full text in R&S*, 372–73.

  Mountbatten told by Irwin: Evans, 105.

  “You watch him, Wedemeyer”: Eldridge, 173.

  “Unnecessarily primitive”: Slim, 221.

  Sun demands removal of Boatner: Ho Yungchi, 64; R&S*, 374; R&S**, 31.

  “Heavenly surcease”: 12 Oct 43, Stimson Papers.

  Stilwell’s memos to G–mo: 26 Sep and 6 Oct 43, Hoover, File 13.

  Recall crisis: BB, 74; SP, 231–35; Somervell to OCMH, qtd. R&S*, 376; Mountbatten, 5; Mountbatten to author.

  Cartier vanity case: Mountbatten to FDR, 23 Oct 43, FDRL, PSF “Britain 43–45.”

  Roosevelt’s reply: Roosevelt, Letters, II, 1468.

  16. CHINA’S HOUR AT CAIRO, NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 1943

  Chiang to be met before Stalin: Feis, 104.

  Hurley as a “tame Republican”: Ambassador Harriman to author.

  Records as Military Attaché rated Wei: “Some Notes on Chinese Commanders,” an informal typewritten collection assembled from various sources on nine leading figures including, besides Wei, Yen Hsi-shan, Ku Chu-tung, Chang Fa-kwei, Li Tsung-jen, Hsueh Yueh and Ch’en Ch’eng, Carmel A-13.

  Dorn, “The obvious remedy”: mem, “Future Training of Chinese Troops,” 11 Nov 43, Hoover, File 206; reports of 7 Aug and 27 Oct, Hoover, File 215; R&S*, 352.

  Stilwell’s program for Cairo; R&S**, 56–57.

  Awed participant: Harold Macmillan, The Blast of War (New York, Harper, 1967), 357.

  War Department views on China: “Role of China in the Defeat of Japan,” CCS mem, 22 Nov 43, qtd. Matloff**, 350.

  Roosevelt wanted success for China: McIntire, 167; Sherwood, 773.

  “Great triumph”: to Mountbatten, 8 Nov 43, FDRL, PSF.

  “Our one great objective”: Sherwood, 779; also Welles, 151; Elliott Roosevelt, 154.

  “First real Oriental”: M-Diary, II, 1414.

  As he appeared to Brooke and Churchill: Bryant**, 51–52; Churchill, V, 328–29.

  Chiang wanted Bonins: Matloff**, 343.

  Madame not satisfied with interpreters: Bryant**, 53.

  Marshall’s angry outburst: session of 24 Nov 43, SP, 255; Matloff**, 350; White Paper, 255.

  Madame’s appearance: Bryant**, 53.

  “Ghastly waste of time”: ibid., 55.

  Mountbatten’s interview with Chiang: Mountbatten to author.

  Stilwell’s notes for meeting with FDR: Data Book, Carmel, qtd. R&S**, 63.

  FDR on Marines: Stilwell ms., “Story of J. Peene, Sr.,” qtd. R&S**, 64.

  FDR agrees to equip 90 divisions: ibid.; Matloff**, 350; Feis, 122, n. 14.

  “FDR is not interested”: Data Book, qtd. R&S**, 65.

  “Driven absolutely mad”: qtd. R&S**, 65.

  Churchill recorded in his own minutes: Churchill, V, 328.

  Marshall’s conversation with Stilwell: S-Diary, 21 Nov 43.

  FDR to Bullitt: Beatrice Farnsworth, William C. Bullitt and the Soviet Union (Bloomington, Indiana Univ. Press, 1967), 3.

  FDR motives at Tehran: Sherwood, 776–80.

  Stalin “getatable”: ibid., 799.

  Stalin on the Chinese: Feis, 107.

  Boatner’s radiogram: BB, 90; Eldridge, 189; Gen. McNally to author.

  Circumstances in the field: Col. —— of the 38th Division to author.

  “BUCCANEER is off”: Churchill, V, 412; King, 525.

  “To weigh the evidence on his desk”: Ambassador Harriman to author.

  Marshall offers to transfer Stilwell: Marshall interview with R&S, 6 Jul 49; R&S**, 73.

  FDR talking: full text in SP, 251–54; original is headed, “Story of J. Peene, Sr.” (the name of Stilwell’s grandfather), Carmel, A-22.

  Chiang demands $1-billion loan: to FDR, 9 Dec 43, R&S**, 74–75.

  Gauss on loan: 22 Dec 43, M-Diary, 983; Feis, 122.

  Fiasco of previous loan and Treasury reaction: Blum, III, 103, 107, 109–112; M-Diary, 980, 1022–24.

  Gauss quoted: 15 Dec 43, FDRL, PSF “China 43–45.”

  Morgenthau’s memorandum: Blum, III, 113; M-Diary, 960, 1006; full text in White Paper, 488–89.

  Chiang refuses Y-force: R&S**, 80.

  Dispute over payment for airfields: Blum, III, 110–19. The suggestions of Somervell and Clay at the meeting of January 20 are given verbatim in M-Diary, 1031; see also 1028, 1034, 1038, 1272. In USFRC 44 the dispute occupies 125 pages, 824–950. Documents in White Paper, 492–509.

  “Some very good offers”: Blum, III, 117.

  Building the airfields: Winfield, 195–98; Signal Corps Film, 111 SM 40.

  Stilwell proposed as negotiator: Blum, III, 119.

  17. THE ROAD BACK, DECEMBER 1943–JULY 1944

  Pershing incident: O’Connor, 103.

  “Had to have the air to eat”: Jones to author.

  In Slim’s opinion: Slim, 180, 217, 222.

  “Because we had only six regiments”: Boatner to Stilwell, 2 Dec 43, qtd. R&S**, 122.

  “Wherever Stilwell went”: Seagrave682, 94.

  Parade with Japanese heads on poles: Boatner to author.

  Ate “like the birds”: UP by Jack Guinn from NCAC HQ, 24 Aug 44 (unidentified newspaper, Carmel Scrapbook).

  “Special attention to people at the bottom”: Col. —— of 38th Division, interview with author.

  “Dig up 150 ceiling fans”: Stilwell to Sultan, 8 Jun 44, Hoover, File 120.

  Chinese patient
s not to be searched: Ravdin, 174.

  Wingate on Chinese cheerfulness: Sykes, 369.

  Chinese requisitions usually double: The 38th Division’s list in December was 280 percent in excess of numerical strength (R&S**, 107).

  “After the air boys learned”: Jones to author.

  Roosevelt “the poorest administrator”: qtd. Burns, 321.

  Giffard reputed among Americans: Dean Rusk, interview with author.

  “A lesson” and “surly obstinacy”: Slim, 178–79.

  Stilwell’s willingness to fight under Slim: ibid.

  “Two people” and “He had courage”: ibid., 36, 98.

  “His own worst enemy”: Marshall interview with R&S, 6 Jul 49.

  “You will find, if you get below the surface”: Marshall to Mountbatten, 26 Jan 44, OCS, GCM, WDCSA 091.713.

  Wingate’s angry comment: Ogburn, 60.

  Fergusson’s account: qtd. Sykes, 499–500.

  Roosevelt to Chiang, January 14: qtd. Feis, 127.

  Churchill on Burma: Churchill, V, 560–61, 573.

  Alsop to Hopkins: 1 Sep 43 and 14 Jan 44, Hopkins Papers.

  “Monocled aplomb”: New York Sun, qtd. Current Biography, 1945.

  AXIOM conference of January 31: Wedemeyer, 258; Mountbatten, 31; R&S**, 164.

  Boatner’s interview with Roosevelt: Boatner to author; see also Stettinius to Hull, 23 Feb, USFRC 44, 25.

  Roosevelt to Churchill: Churchill, V, 562, 574.

  “If I had a pack”: Eldridge, 213; see also Darrell Berrigan, “Uncle Joe Pays Off,” Sat. Eve. Post, 17 Jun 44.

  “A street address in Los Angeles”: Ogburn, 61.

  Merrill a “born leader”: Ravdin, 179.

  Make-up of the GALAHAD force: Stone, ed., Report of Captain James Hopkins, Battalion Surgeon, 295, 303, 311.

  Shooting through the train windows: Ogburn, 72.

  “Simply and quietly”: ibid., 88.

  “Aw, to hell with this”: Tillman Durdin, NYT, 30 Apr 44.

  “Very simple. Keep going”: Col. —— of 38th Division, interview with author.

  “When he told you what to do”: Gen. Arms, interview with author.

  “Every drop hurt me”: Eldridge, 215.

  He said to Paul Jones: Jones to author.