Office of the Historian

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram

The Commanding General, United States Forces, China Theater (Wedemeyer), to the Chief of Staff, United States Army (Marshall)

[Shanghai,] 9 November 1945.

CFBX 13955. 1. The interpretation to be placed on the word “China” in the first sentence of paragraph 6 of Warx 4751312 is the subject.

[Page 612]

The Generalissimo is putting heavy pressure on this headquarters to have U. S. planes and personnel move Chinese troops into and within Manchuria. We have always maintained that the reoccupation of Manchuria by the Chinese from the Russians was a problem for solution by the Chinese and Russian Governments and that the mission of China Theater did not contemplate that we should furnish either liaison personnel for Chinese troops in Manchuria or provide U. S. resources for movement of Chinese troops within Manchuria. U. S. resources have been and will continue to be used for movement of Chinese forces to the borders of Manchuria. Our interpretation has been based upon the following:

A.
In General Order number 1 (Warx 48672),13 para. a reads as follows:

“a. The senior Japanese Commander of all ground, sea, air and auxiliary forces within China (excluding Manchuria), Formosa and French Indo-China north of 16 degrees north latitude shall surrender to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.”

B.
Paragraph b of this same General Order reads as follows:

“b. The senior Japanese commander of all ground, sea, air and auxiliary forces within Manchuria, Korea 38 degrees north latitude and Karaf atao shall surrender to the Commander in Chief of Soviet forces in the Far East.”

C.
On 26 August 1945, the following article appeared in the Central News Agency, China.

“Minutes: Moscow August 14, 1945.14

At the fifth meeting held on July 11, 1945, between Generalissimo Stalin and Doctor T. V. Soong, the question of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Chinese territory after the participation by the U.S.S.R. in the war against Japan was discussed.

Generalissimo Stalin would not like to have a clause in the agreement governing [covering?] the entry of Soviet forces into Manchuria which provides for the withdrawal of Soviet troops within 3 months after the defeat of Japan. However, he said that after the capitulation of Japan, the Soviet troops would commence to withdraw within 3 weeks.

Doctor Soong asked how long it would take to complete the withdrawal, Generalissimo Stalin said that he thought the withdrawal could be completed in not more than 2 months.

Doctor Soong further asked whether the withdrawal would be definitely completed within 3 months. Generalissimo Stalin stated 3 months would be the maximum for the completion of the withdrawal.”

D.
Recent agreements between Chinese General Hsung and Russian General Malinofsky stated that Russian troops would be withdrawn progressively from south to north and that by 20 November all Soviet troops would be withdrawn to a line through Mukden, by 25 November to the vicinity of Harbin and by the end of November to Soviet territory.

2. In view of the above, this headquarters has interpreted the words, “key areas in China” to exclude Manchuria. As a result, we have materially assisted the Chinese in the occupation of China Proper, northern French Indo-China and Formosa and we have continually informed the Chinese that arrangements to reoccupy Manchuria from the Russians was a purely Chinese-Russian problem. As a result we have withdrawn and will continue to withdraw our liaison personnel as soon as Chinese forces reached Manchuria and we will not use U.S. resources to redeploy Chinese forces within Manchuria.

3. Request that our interpretation be confirmed as a matter of urgency since the Generalissimo is pressing us to put American liaison personnel into Manchuria with Chinese forces and to use American resources in transporting Chinese forces within Manchuria.

  1. Telegram of August 10 from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commanding General, U.S. Forces, China Theater, p. 527.↩
  2. See directive by President Truman to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan (MacArthur), August 15, p. 530.↩
  3. For text of minutes, see Department of State Bulletin, February 10, 1946 p. 201.↩