Honolulu Star Bulletin Editorial: Still a Task in China (1946)

Editorial: Still a Task in China
Honolulu Star Bulletin: February 2, 1946
Page 6.

Practically all the fighting in China has been brought to a stop and a degree of political unity between Nationalists and Communists has been reached which holds high promise of continued peace and growth.

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek has pledged that the decisions of the unity conference just ended in Chungking will be carried out –free, open activities in all political parties; nationalization of the army; universal compulsory education; and economic reconstruction.

Toward these ends the generalissimo has made a number of concessions, the genuineness of which is best attested by the opposition they have aroused among functionaries of the Kuomintang party, who claim the government has no right to surrender any of its power.

In the conferences which have produced the unity agreement Gen. George C. Marshall, ambassador and special American representative, has remained largely in the background, but his constructive influence is evident in the quick progress made toward a settlement.

Yet Gen. Marshall’s and Generalissimo Chiang’s hardest task still remains-the amalgamation of the two armies which are still hostile to each other, despite the respite from fighting.

To accomplish this amalgamation, the unity conference set up a committee composed of two representatives from Chungking, one from among the Communists and Gen. Marshall himself.

The committee’s task is to whittle down 253 nationalists army divisions to 90 and 100 Communist divisions to 20, then melt them together into a single force willing to obey the edicts of Generalissimo Chiang.

Hopeful though the Chungking conference accomplishments have been, the reunification of China and the prospect of a peaceful future will not rest on solid ground until the army problem is solved.

The reason for this is simple. Government for the average Chinese has meant army. No central government has existed to maintain control throughout the country. Instead, dozens of armies have ruled dozens of different localities, and the rule of each has been different.

Once the task of military unification has been completed, the new state council of 40 members, which now takes over Chiang’s former powers of emergency decree, can begin to function as intended. But until the armies are removed from the field of government, peace and unity can not be said to have arrived in China.