FAILURE ALLEGED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 29 November 1945, Page 5

FAILURE ALLEGED

U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN ASIA PROFESSION AI, DIPLOMATS BLAMED GENERAL HURLEY RESIGNS POST Washington, Nov., 27. Asserting that United States foreign policy in Asia had failed, BrigadierGeneral Hurley announced his resignation as Ambassador to China. President Truman has announced that General Marshall will succeed General Hurley. General Marshall is described as the President’s spocial envoy, with the rank of Ambassador. In a formal statement BrigadierGeneral Hurley said that he agreed entirely with American foreign policy as outlined by President Truman but the professional diplomats in the lower echelons wore frustrating the attainment of his announced policy. When he was assigned to China he was directed by President Roosovelt to prevent the collajjse of the Chiang Kaishek Government and to keep Ihe Chinese army in the -'ar. His next directive was to harmonise relations between the Chinese and the military and between the American Embassy and the Chinese Government. Both objectives were accomplished. SIDED WITH COMMUNISTS It was no secret that the policy did no', have the support of all career-men in the State Department. Professional foreign servieemon sided with the Chinese Communists and the imperialistic bloc of nations who wished to keep China self-divided. “Professional diplomats continuously advised the Communists that my efforts in preventing the collapse of the National Government did not represent United States policy,” said General Hurley. "The same professional diplomats openly advised the Communist armed party to decline unification of the Chinese Communist army with the National army unless the Comn mists were given control. Despite handicaps, we made progress towards the unification of the armed forces. We did prevent civil war between the rival factions at least until I had left, and brought the rival leaders together for peaceful discussions. The chief opposition to the accomplishment of our mission came from the American career-diplomats in the embassy at Chungking and in the Chinese and the Far Eastern divisions of the State Department.” General Hurley said that, when the career-men were recalled from Chungking at his request, they were placed in th-i State Department as his supervisors and advisers to General MacArthur. “The weakness of American foreign policy had backed us into two world wars in which we had no part in shaping the conditions,” he said. RECOMMENDATIONS MADE General Hurley recommended complete re-organisation of policy-making machinery, beginning at the lower official levels, and leadership by the United States of a move to amend or revise the United Nations Organisation Charter to make it democratic. “Our strength should be used to uphold the United Nations Organisation rather than support conflicting ideologies or war-making power blocs,” he concluded. OFFICIALS SURPRISED Brigadier-General Hurley’s resignation apparently came as a surprise lo officials because it had been announced soon after he arrived in the United States last month for a rest that he was returning to his post says the “New York Times” correspondent. When Brigadier-General Hurley discussed the matter with Mr Byrnes, Secretary of State, two days ago Mr Brynes prevailed on him not to press his resignation. President Truman’s first news of the resignation came over the ticker tape. The President, after confirming the report, telephoned General Marshall at i his Virginia home and asked him if he would go to China as his special envoy to handle a particular job and General Marshal acceded. President Truman earlier conferred with the Chinese Ambassador, Mr Wei Taohming, who in a discussion with reporters after leaving White House sought to minimise the seriousness of the Chinese position. Mr Wei Taohming said there was more shouting than shooting going on between the Nationalists and Communists over the occupation of Manchuria.