Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Minutes of Meeting Between General Marshall and General Yu Ta-wei at No. 5 Ning Hai Road, Nanking, August 28, 1946, 5:30 p.m.
| Also present: | Lt. Col. Hutchin |
General Yu Ta Wei: The main purpose of my coming this evening was to inform you of the nominations for Dr. Stuart’s special group. They are: Mr. Wu Teh Cheng, Secretary General of the Kuomintang Party, and Chang Li Sheng, Minister of Interior. Both of these men have been recommended to the Generalissimo this afternoon and they are still subject to his confirmation.
In my conversation over the telephone with the Generalissimo this afternoon, he confirmed my thoughts as expressed to you this morning; the main theme of his discussion with you was a political one of participation in discussions with Communists, leaving all military problems as side issues. He told me that what he had said to you in no way prejudiced his stand on the five points.
With reference to General Chou’s letter9 concerning the Chengte situation, the Generalissimo considered Jehol, Chahar and Northern Kiangsu as constituting the same strategic area. If fighting breaks out there, that is generally in the whole area, then the situation would be very grave. It is something that should be treated as an area and not as one city.
At my meeting with Dr. T. V. Soong, I brought out the point concerning the possibility that Communists might bring up issues which are beyond the scope of Dr. Stuart’s small group. I told him that this would not happen because the Americans would insist that discussions would be confined toward settlement of the one basic thing.
I told the Generalissimo that you would not tell General Chou of any of the military discussions you held with the Generalissimo. I also told him we must do everything possible to put General Marshall in a position as negotiator of knowing precisely what is in the Generalissimo’s mind. This is all I have to report.