Book Reviews : The Politics of City Revenue. By ARNOLD J. MELTSNER. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1971. Pp. 303. $10.00.)

• Date: 01 March 1974
• Published date: 01 March 1974
• DOI: 10.1177/106591297402700118
• Author: Yearn H. Choi
• Subject Matter: Articles

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visit to the United States. One is actually relieved at the end of this account be-
cause the United States government was not completely swept off its feet by the
visitor.
Tuchman’s analysis of the history of China during this difficult period clearly
displays a great breadth of understanding. But her concentration on Stilwell makes
it difficult to portray Chiang as the extremely capable politician that he must have
been during that period. On the general themes of the period, however, her docu-
mentation is impressive and her use of unpublished Stilwell papers is apparently
a great contribution. Chiang failed, it seems from this analysis, because he chose to
play it &dquo;close to the vest&dquo; and to preserve his strength. Thus Chiang miscalculated
and caused his own downfall.
The difficulty in using one man’s life as a focus for analysis of complex events
is fully illuminated by this point. By concentration on Stilwell she made it difficult
to analyze the plausible alternative hypotheses regarding Chiang. One alternative
hypothesis is that Chiang had no choice; he feared the Communists, he feared more
defections such as Wang Ching-wei’s, he feared increased American power (to
depose him after the war) , he had to control the warlord factions, and he had to
appease his own constituency (the Wamphoa clique). It is little wonder that, if this
thesis is accurate, he chose a conservative course. Another hypothesis suggests that
Chiang was boxed in by his beginnings, by patterns established in his government at
Nanking. Indeed, Tuchman’s conclusion, if not the better part of her analysis,
that China just went her own way supports this thesis.
Using the Stilwell focus prohibited the systematic analysis of America’s ability
to keep China from this course, and it even prohibited a satisfactory analysis of the
communist activities in China -
surely one of the important variables in the
Chinese situation. The analysis is striking for its inability to draw these...