Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Minutes of Conference Between General Marshall and General Chou En-lai at General Marshall’s House, Nanking, May 14, 1946, 3:30 p.m.
| Also present: | Captain Soong |
| Mr. Chang |
General Chou referred to General Byroade’s initial proposal66 concerning operations of the field teams and insisted that unanimous agreement on the part of the field team originally adhered to by General Marshall should be followed. General Chou could not agree to any proposal giving the American chairman on the field teams final authority in making decisions regarding investigations. However, he stressed that a satisfactory procedure must be obtained to enable the field team to recover the original confidence and to work effectively. Then he submitted a proposed change67 which modified General Byroade’s original proposal and which required unanimous agreement by team members regarding investigations.
After consultation with General Byroade, General Marshall stated that, as now written, General Byroade would prefer there be no new agreement because he felt General Chou’s new proposal would take matters out of the hands of the three Commissioners, and it would handicap the Executive Headquarters. General Marshall then expressed his own reluctance in this matter.
General Chou emphasized the importance of such an agreement and stated that it would work to the advantage of all concerned. He requested General Byroade’s reconsideration.
General Marshall then altered the fourth item by adding that in case of continued disagreement, the American member of the teams will report directly to the Commissioners who will either reach a unanimous decision in 24 hours or report the matter to the Committee of Three. To this General Chou agreed.
General Chou then suggested that a special delegation of the Committee of Three should investigate the Nantung situation by going to Huaiyin [Huaian] first to listen to team reports and thence proceed to Nantung to investigate actual conditions. To this General Marshall [Page 848] agreed, except that it had to wait for concurrence from Executive Headquarters.
The meeting was closed by the signing of the agreement (attached)68 by General Chou.