Three Changes

Chungking announced three important Government changes:

P: As Foreign Minister (a post in which Premier T. V. Soong had hitherto doubled) the Government (or Chiang) appointed Wang Shih-chieh, 54, lawyer, educator, scholar and veteran administrator. A European-educated liberal (Universities of London and Paris), Dr. Wang has long advised Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek on foreign affairs. Last year he served as the Central Government's chief representative in its bootless negotiations with the Communists. As Information Minister since last November, he considerably liberalized the censorship.

P: As Agriculture and Forestry Minister it appointed Ku Cheng-kang, fortyish, hitherto Minister of Social Affairs. Minister Ku replaced General Sheng Shih-tsai, the sad-eyed epicure (he likes sea slugs, champagne, Russian chocolates) who last year lost the Government of Sinkiang for openly opposing Russian influence. At the recent meeting of the People's Political Council, General Sheng was violently denounced as a grafter and as one who took "lives lightly as grass."

P: As vice chairman of the joint administration office of the four Government banks it appointed Premier Soong (chairman: Generalissimo Chiang). T. V. replaced his ailing brother-in-law, H. H. ("Daddy") Kung, 64, onetime top man of Chinese finance and administration, now virtually retired from public office.

Still the "CC." Relieved of Foreign Ministry routine. Premier Soong could now devote more attention to China's galloping inflation and related problems. But though T. V. had won great administrative power, he still had to buck the political machine run by the Kuomintang's right-wing "CC" clique, led by the brothers Chen Kuo-fu and Chen Li-fu.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.