April 7, 1944
 
MEMORADUM ON CURRENT NEWS ITEMS IN CHINA
 
              There is attached a report of the Chin~ese Government press conference on April 5,
most of which was taken up With fruitless efforts of the press correspondents to learn something
regarding the situation in Sinklung. It is obvious that the Chinese though greatly concerned over
the bombing incident and the situation in Sinkiang, are still confused and undecided as to the
policy which they should adopt.
 
     An official of the International Publicity Board
in a private talk with a well-known foreign correspondent on the evening of April 5 admited the
general veracity of the TASS story and other reports tending to show Chinese provocation. He
made the def'inite statement that Chinese troops had actually crossed the border into Outer
Mongolia. We explained these actions on the basis of Chinese conviction that relations between
Russia and Great Britain and the United States strained and that it was to China's interest to
promote this tension, me pointed out that Chinese authorities in Sinklung had kept the British and
American authorities there fully informed of their version of thematter and that efforts had been
made to interest the British and American Governments. Finally, the Chinese had prepared a
lengthy statement and were about to release it in Chungking when the strong and obviously
official TASS report appeared and got in the "first word".
 
     This explanation of the whole affair as a Ghinese effort to Complicate relations among the
United Nations, even though coming from what must be considered a good Chinese source, can
hardly be accepted as suifficient. Chinese rives may actually be several:
 
              1. The Central Government wishes to establish its undisputed control over the wholeof
Sinkiang.
            This recovery of Sinkiang is an important part of Chinese irredentism, which from a
slightly different viewpoint, amounts to feudalistic imperialism. The Kuomintang regards its
successful completion as a race against time- the day when Russia has recovered sufficiently from
her crisis in the west to seek again to draw Singkiang into