893.00/15298a
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of War (Stimson)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The steady deterioration in the relations between the Kuomintang and the so-called Chinese Communists has been, and continues to be, a matter of serious concern to this Department from the point of view of (1) its adverse effect in general upon [Page 356] the prosecution of the war with Japan, (2) the possibility that a further aggravation of the situation might result in civil strife of such dimensions as seriously to undermine Chinese political unity, and (3) the possibility that complications may arise in the future between China and the Soviet Union.
Our Embassy at Chungking and our military authorities in that city have from time to time reported on this situation and pointed out that the blockade maintained by large bodies of National Government troops of the areas controlled by the so-called Chinese Communists has resulted in the immobilization of approximately 500,000 Chinese troops who might otherwise be engaged in military operations against the Japanese and constitutes a deterrent to the more rapid prosecution of the war in the China theater. If harmony could be restored between these two factions in China, it might be expected that troops from both groups would be available for use against the enemy.
As a first step toward determining how this Government might most appropriately contribute to a friendly and harmonious solution of the difficulties between the National Government and the Communists, this Department has been giving consideration to the possible dispatch of a small group of observers to the Communist-controlled areas of north China which, as mentioned above, are now completely isolated by the blockade maintained by National Government troops. It is understood that the War Department has also given consideration to this matter from the point of view of the various military factors involved in this situation. Our Embassy at Chungking has expressed doubt whether the agreement of the Chinese Government can readily be obtained to a proposal for sending American military observers to areas controlled by the Communists but it believes nevertheless that an effort should be made to dispatch such a group of observers to those areas. The Embassy is also of the opinion that any group of observers sent into the areas in question should be essentially military but that Mr. John Service, Second Secretary of Embassy now on detail to Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stilwell’s Headquarters, might be added to the group in as much as he is a competent political observer and reporter. This Department concurs in the views expressed by the Embassy in regard to the character and composition of the proposed observers’ mission to Communist-controlled areas.
It is understood that this matter has been brought to the attention of the President on the basis of a memorandum, copy of which is enclosed, written by Mr. John Davies,81 Second Secretary of Embassy on detail to Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stilwell’s Headquarters, [Page 357] and that by direction of the President this matter was referred to General Marshall82 and Admiral Leahy83 for consideration.
It would be appreciated if the War Department would inform this Department of any decisions reached and of any action taken by General Marshall concerning this proposal. In the event that no action has been taken, the Department would welcome an expression of the War Department’s views in regard to what action might be appropriately taken concerning this matter.
Sincerely yours,