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Interview with Marshall Chang Hsueh-liang.

 

Hankow June 20th 1935

 

Gareth Jones – “The anti-Communist fights have been a great success and have been applauded.”

 

Marshall – “The Communists are bandits.  We have broken the main body.  Some of them remain in bandit gangs scattered here and there.

We have put 7000 Communists into reformation.  They are however very desperate for they fight for their lives.  They are afraid of returning to their villages for there the villagers who know them would kill them.  Thus we have to settle them far away.

Our grip over Szechuan will increase as time goes on.  Not only have we our military force there, but also they are spreading their ideas of unification.

In Kivenchow and Yunnan it is the same.”

 

Jones – “In Canton there is opposition to unification.  Will the building of roads and the Hankow and Canton railway be a help to unification?”

 

Marshall – “Yes, it will mean the spread of ideas also, and a cultural link with the south.”

 

Jones – “What means have you in mind to extend the grip of the Central Government to Szechuan?”

 

Marshall – “We are going to build a railway south of the Yangtze, through Changsha to Kweichow and then up to Szechuan.

We are going to build motor roads.”

 

Jones – “What are you doing that the south shall be military minded?  I was in Changsha and the youngsters said that they wished to enter military institutes in order to fight Japan.”  This tickled the Marshall and he seemed pleased.  “We believe in stress upon military training in order to strengthen the character of the young Chinese in general education.”

 

Jones – “Has the Japanese aggression made any change in the policy of Central Government, ie of co-operation towards the Japanese?”

 

Obviously a brick, rather embarrassed Marshall replies coldly in Chinese and Consul translates “I could reply, but that is a question on which I would rather not speak.”  Silence, then laughter.

 

Jones – “Has the Nanking Government any plans for state industry?  In every country in the Far East I have seen advances of State Socialism.”

 

Marshall – “We have the National Economic Council which is going to consider plans for new industries, including State Industries.”

 

Jones – “Do you lay great stress on aviation?”

 

Marshall – “Yes, there will be a new route to Szechuan.  My second son is going to be an aviator and is exceedingly keen and will have long years of training.  I have my own aeroplane and I am keen on flying.  (Ford Monoplane)”

 

Jones  - “Mr Matsuoka said that China would in this century be filled either with Bolshevism from Russia or with the spirit of Japonism.  What do you think of that?"

 

Marshall – with scorn – “Do you think that we, a nation with 4,000 years, will disappear in such a short period as a century.”

 

 

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