Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
The Minister-Counselor of Embassy in China (Butterworth) to Colonel J. Hart Caughey
Dear Colonel Caughey: There is transcribed below a statement for General Marshall:
Assuming that President Truman is not now compelled for domestic political reasons to make a public statement on China but is mainly desirous of doing so as a means of furthering your efforts, I would not counsel the issuance of such a statement at this time.
It may be that the Gimo being aware of the extent of your plenary powers is not equally aware that your statements to him exactly reflect the general attitude and policy of the government—and for that matter informed American opinion as well. If the purpose of such a public statement by the President is to disabuse the Gimo of these misconceptions and to bring pressure on him to effect the political compromises we desire, then it seems to us that there are other more effective and suitable means of achieving this end at this particular stage, such as a personal communication from the President to the Gimo which, incidentally, could and should be phrased in stronger terms than in a public statement, and of course it could at a future date be made public. Such a letter should certainly emphasize the failure of the government to take concrete steps in implementing the PPC38 Agreements and particularly the broadening of the base of the government.
On the other hand, a public statement sufficiently strong to cause a decisive change in the Gimo’s attitude and that of some of his more powerful advisers would almost inevitably so encourage the Communist Party as to change their present attitude to one of unmalleability or intransigency—not to mention the effect it would have on American opinion.
With kindest regards,
- People’s Political Council.↩