Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Memorandum by General Marshall to President Truman94
13 March 1946.
Subject: Oral Statements of Views of Chinese Central Government and Communist Party Reference Situation as of 10 March 1946, in Personal Conversations with General Marshall.
There are attached a statement by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek95 and another by General Chou En-lai96 made to me in my final conversations with these two officials just prior to my departure from Chungking for the United States. I dictated my recollection of the Generalissimo’s statement and had Chou En-lai’s Secretary-Interpreter write up his notes of Chou’s oral statement.
In reading these papers it should be borne in mind that they represent views expressed during a most critical situation in Manchuria and in the heat of a political struggle within the governing Central Committee of the Kuomintang Party—a Committee which rules China and whose officials and subordinates down the line hold their position of power and personal income by virtue of that Committee’s rule, now clue to be abdicated to a coalition government.
Another fact bears on the interpretation of these statements. So far no measures have been taken to suppress the fighting and the struggle for favorable position in Manchuria. It has required two months and a personal visit by me to bring all the Central Government and Communist leaders in the field into line in accordance with the terms of the Cease Firing agreement—halt of all movements, restoration of communications and evacuation of Japanese. Lack of communications makes it very difficult not only to reach leaders, but especially to reach the commanders of brigades, regiments and independent or guerilla groups.
In Manchuria the situation as to communications and leadership is far more difficult than in North China. The Communist forces are large—about 300,000, but little more than loosely organized bands. It has been all but impossible for the Yenan headquarters to reach the leaders. On the Central Government side the leaders have been free [Page 542] to place their own interpretation on orders or agreements—complicated by the Government public announcement that the Executive Headquarters had no jurisdiction in Manchuria. This was an unjustified statement, as the agreement of January 10th for Cease Firing included Manchuria.
Now, on the night of my departure from Chungking, I succeeded in getting an agreement for the immediate entry of field teams from Executive Headquarters into Manchuria. I was notified the same evening that the American Consul was amicably received in Dairen. The Consul for Mukden is enroute by rail, which the Russian troops have evacuated.
I will make no predictions at this writing—enroute Tokio to Wake Island, delaying such report until the further developments of the situation become known to me on my arrival in Washington.