Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
Lieutenant General Albert C. Wedemeyer to General Marshall
20060. Reference 45. I did not agree or recommend that in view of struggle with Communists no further demobilization of National Army divisions should take place. The commander of the New 6th Army visited me in Shanghai and intimated that part of his army was about to be demobilized and that it would affect the morale of his organization. I asked the Generalissimo to defer his demobilization plan with reference to those armies whose movement was imminent for it would disrupt our plans. I have always urged demobilization in general and still feel that the National Government could and should reduce its military force to approximately 50 divisions. This could be accomplished without interfering with the armies that are American trained and equipped and that are visualized for immediate movement or employment. In fairness to the Generalissimo I believe that he misunderstood a memorandum I sent to him recommending that his order to the New 6th Army concerning inactivation be rescinded. General Liao, the Commander of the New 6th Army, gave me the number of that order only and I did not see its contents. That order may have applied to the entire army and when I recommended that he rescind it, naturally he interpreted my meaning incorrectly. I merely did not want disruption of morale or plans for the movement within those armies that we had trained and equipped and were scheduled for movement. I am sending by courier papers57 pertaining to the integration of the Chinese Nationalist and Chinese Communist armies.