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General Festing's honour, the Minister of War, who had been detained at an important meeting, arriving half an hour after the conclusion of the party! In apologising for his tardy arrival he stated that he was so anxious to do the General honour that he felt he must put in an appearance whatever the hour!
General Festing paid official calls in the course of his visit on the Generalissimo, General Ho Yin Chin, the Minister of War, the acting Chief of Staff and the D.M.I. At all these the theme of the conversation was the urgent need of close Sino-British relations in view of the disturbed state of the world. Local problems connected with relations between Hong Kong and Canton were also discussed in a spirit of great friendliness and mutual co-operation. Altogether one was left with an impression that the Chinese have not only accepted without rancour our return to Hong Kong but are even relieved to find us there ready to lend a helping hand in any way we can. In the present disturbed state of China there may of course be ulterior considerations in the back of some Chinese minds regarding our presence in Hong Kong which has traditionally formed a convenient refuge during times of stress! However that may be, General Festing's short visit to Chungking has been a huge success and one certainly need have no immediate fear of trouble with the Chinese over Hong Kong.
Of late there has been a noticeable improvement in the Chinese attitude to us, an improvement which this visit has served most happily to underline. I attribute this to three main causes :----
(a) Chinese uncertainty as to United States policy in this country and even fear that the Americans may "pull out" and leave them to their fate. (b) The continued deterioration of the internal situation especially in North
China where civil war is openly raging.
(c) Fear of Russia whom the Chinese appear to think we understand better
than the Americans.
There are other reasons, and one I consider to be of some importance, viz., the firm not to say uncompromising attitude we adopted over the surrender of Hong Kong. The Chinese react to kindness and are hurt, perhaps childishly, by too frank criticism at which the Americans are notoriously adept. But in common with all Asiatic peoples the Chinese also react to the firm hand and this, suitably disguised whenever possible in a velvet glove, is, in my opinion, the member for us to use upon them in the future.
Our American allies have their own methods of dealing with the Chinese varying from fulsome praise to brutal candour and even the use, or threatened use, of the big stick. They have had their successes in this country and certainly have made our position here most exasperatingly difficult from time to time. Whatever may be the opposite of our "face" has been all too frequently evident these last few months! Nevertheless a reaction has now set in. And while we must still proceed with caution and above all avoid offering more hostages to fortune than we need to, it is becoming increasingly clear that, if we will, we shall again be called upon to lend a hand in the slow, laborious, sometimes painful but none the less inevitable progress of the Chinese people towards modernity.
L. C. HAYES
(Major-General).
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