Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East: China, Volume X

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270

Minutes of Meeting Between General Marshall and Dr. Stuart at Dr. Stuart’s Residence, Nanking, November 8, 1946, 9:30 a.m.

Nanking, November 8, 1946, 9:30 a.m.

Also present:

Colonel Caughey

Dr. Stuart opened the meeting by stating that members of the Democratic League had called on him to report that in a meeting last night with General Chou,⁶⁶ he (General Chou) indicated complete disdain for the Generalissimo personally and further indicated his belief that no reply from the Communists should be submitted concerning the Generalissimo’s eight points.⁶⁷ The Democratic League members had reported to Dr. Stuart that they had encouraged, however, General Chou to prepare some reply, even though it merely acknowledged the fact that he had received the Government’s eight points.

Dr. Stuart continued by stating that the Generalissimo had asked Philip Fugh⁶⁸ to come to his residence last night at which time the Generalissimo explained to Mr. Fugh that, through this meeting with him, he was endeavoring to help the American mediators to understand the real character of his difficult problems. Dr. Stuart reported that while Mr. Fugh was at the Generalissimo’s he overheard General Chen Cheng,⁶⁹ who was arguing with Mr. Wu Te Chen,⁷⁰ say that the Government ought to fight it out once and for all (referring to the military situation).

Dr. Stuart continued by stating that General Pee⁷¹ had just been in to see him to indicate that the Generalissimo was concerned over the progress being made by himself (Dr. Stuart) and General Marshall toward preparing a statement which he (the Generalissimo) might use. General Pee had also informed Dr. Stuart that the Generalissimo was having an important meeting at 1 o’clock today to decide whether a cease-fire order should be issued and whether the opening of the National Assembly should be postponed. Dr. Stuart continued by reporting General Chou’s attitude with reference to the postponing of the National Assembly wherein General Chou stated that the postponement should not be long but rather only a period of one or two weeks, otherwise no progress could be expected.

Dr. Stuart again mentioned the bitterness shown by General Chou toward some of the major issues, such as: General Chou said that the Government honors those persons who have successfully been able to offset Communist demands by awarding to those persons a high Government position; General Chou said that Mr. Luce⁷² had been invited to China by the Generalissimo in the hopes that Mr. Luce would be made Ambassador to China and further aggravate the Communists. In general, General Chou is in a bad frame of mind and seeing “ghosts” at every turn.

At this point, General Marshall and Dr. Stuart carefully worked over a previous draft statement for the Generalissimo,⁷³ and came to an agreement on a rewritten version⁷⁴ which included all of the Generalissimo’s conditions and views and therefore could not have American approval (inclosed). They then left for the Generalissimo’s.

66. Chou En-lai, head of the Chinese Communist delegation negotiating with General Marshall.
67. For Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s statement of October 16, see telegram No. 1677, October 17, from the Ambassador in China, p. 377.
68. Assistant to Ambassador Stuart.
69. Chief of the Chinese General Staff.
70. Secretary General of the Kuomintang Central Executive Committee.
71. Peter Tsong-kan (Chung-kan) Pee, personal aide to President Chiang.
72. Henry R. Luce, editor in chief of Time, Life, and Fortune magazines.
73. See initial draft statement presented by General Marshall and Ambassador Stuart to President Chiang on November 7, Department of State, United States Relations With China (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1949), p. 676.
74. Infra.