Office of the Historian

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270

Memorandum by General Marshall to General Hsu Yung-chang99

Chungking, April 22, 1946.

I have received the following message from General Byroade which is forwarded for information:

“The American member of Team Number 8 reports that movement [Page 643] of Communist personnel to port for evacuation can be effected in D plus 40 days allowing for medical screening and inoculation. Move is set up for 2,400 including original estimate of about 300 women and children in 3 groups. The staging area recommended is Shayu-Chung at the head of Mirs Bay. D day would be:

a.
When cash for evacuation is made available.
b.
When certain National Government troops withdrawals to allow for safe and unthreatened Communist movement are agreed upon.

Team Number 8 is in disagreement and has not been able to reconcile the cost of evacuation. Estimates by National Government calculation is 272,570,000 CNC and by Communist calculation is 987,600,000 CNC. Further the team is in disagreement over Communist demands for certain withdrawals of National Government forces away from the routes over which the Communists must evacuate. Team negotiations are still proceeding on the withdrawals but assistance of Executive Headquarters has been asked for settling financial arrangements.

American branch cost estimate will be submitted to the three Commissioners, 22 April, with view to having the three Commissioners recommend approval to the Committee of Three.”1

G. C. Marshall
  1. Director of the Board of Military Operations of the Chinese National Military Council. Copy also forwarded to Gen. Chou En-lai.↩
  2. In telegram No. 2124, April 24, the three Commissioners at Peiping repeated substantially the same message to the Committee of Three, with the recommendation, regarding the financial estimates, that the figure of 323,686,000 CNC be set to cover the withdrawal costs of the Communist forces; in addition, it was recommended by General Tsai, the Government Chief of Staff, that this amount be “replaced” by the Communists in the form of grain in North China.↩