The China Hands: America's Foreign Service Officers And What Befell Them

by E.J. Kahn Jr.

Old Book

Genres: China

337 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 1975

About the author

Ely Jacques Kahn Jr. was an American journalist and writer. His career with 'The New Yorker' lasted for roughly five decades.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book on how America's State Department and government refused to listen to the reports of their Foreign Service Officers and ambassadors stationed in China during the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's as these men informed the government that Chaing Kai-Shek's government was ineffectual and corrupt, predicting that China would soon be taken over by the Communists.

When that actually happened, these same men were blamed by Senator McCarthy and other right wing politicians for "losing" China, and the State Dept did nothing to help them. The careers of the Foreign Service Officers were over.

This is a well written account of what happened, published in the early 1970's. The individual stories of the Foreign Service Officers are the most interesting aspect of the book.

[Meihan Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and amusing.

"Do you know X? Is he a communist?"
" I don't know if he is a communist. But he is a fascist for sure."
"That's not our concern. Is he a communist?"

[Winona Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read non-fiction very often, not with all those intriguing novels stacked about the house, just waiting for me to choose one, pick it up and start reading. I made an exception, though, for The China Hands, which I picked up at a buck-a-bag sale at a local library. Why? Because the term “China Hands” had been in my consciousness for a long time, but I had no idea of what it meant except I thought it had something to do with General Joe Stilwell. Some of the China Hands reported to “Vinegar Joe” but the book is focused on the careers of several men who mostly worked for the Foreign Service.

I certainly knew about Senator McCarthy and his ongoing war against Hollywood writers and directors who were, in his opinion, communists/reds—men who would sell out the United States at the drop of a hat. I did not know that the same duplicitous and bully tactics (using unreliable informants and making threats) were used by both McCarthy and Senator McCarran, in a long-standing attempt to discredit the China Hands who had spent years in China serving the United States government; now, they were blamed for “losing China” because they had pointed out problems and defects in Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang (nationalist party) he headed. The China Hands were not only fluent in the Chinese language(s) but also, because of their lengthy experience, had insight into the Chinese mind. They reported to their superiors what they observed and learned, without tailoring their reports to what people already believed and, therefore, wanted to hear.

This honesty cost them their careers. The government was unhappy because the communist party was more attractive to those who were poverty stricken and looking for a way to improve their lives; if the nationalists won the struggle, there would be no change The China Hands were constantly harassed—one individual was examined by various committees dealing with security nine times—always cleared, but shortly called back to be re-examined and to testify once more. Some individuals chose not to support the China Hands publicly, even though privately they expressed strong agreement with their Foreign Service colleagues. Most of those accused never saw China again but were posted/downgraded to jobs of little importance in political backwaters. Some were fired or forced into early retirement.

The book is meticulously researched, drawing on reports submitted by the China Hands while they still functioned as experts on China, other official government papers, and many interviews conducted by the author. An excellent job that reveals an unhappy bit of US history and the way life sometimes proceeds. The deserving are not always rewarded; furthermore, they often lack support from others who prefer to save themselves rather than step forward to defend the wrongfully accused.