893.00/1–1049
The American Ambassador in China ( Hurley ) to Mr. Mao Tse-tung
My Dear Chairman Mao: Thank you very much for your letter of the 11th. I regret that you rejected my suggestion for the holding of a conference at Yenan between the official representatives of the National Government and the official representatives of the Communist Party. I am convinced that the National Government is now ready to make such important and concrete concessions as to make a settlement really practicable.
I learn that only last Monday the Government decided on creating within the Executive Yuan an organ with extensive powers along the lines of what is known abroad as a “war cabinet”, and to include in its personnel non-Kuomintang men. It is the intention of the Government to invite the Chinese Communist representatives to join this important policy making body.
It may well be that this measure together with the other measures that have been offered by the National Government may not be sufficient to satisfy the Chinese Communists but I think it would be a [Page 181] great pity if such far reaching Government proposals were rejected out of hand without due consideration.
As a friend of China, I suggest that you send General Chow En-lai, or any other representative you may select, to Chungking for a brief visit to talk matters over with the Government. It need not take him long; if he is busy even two or three days would be sufficient.
I am sending Col. de Pass39 to Yenan with a plane with the hope that General Chow will come with him to Chungking. The same plane will be held in readiness for his return to Yenan.
With kind personal regards [etc.]
- Col. Morris B. de Pass, Military Attaché in China.↩