Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East: China, Volume IX

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270

Meeting Between General Chou En-lai and Others, Chungking, March 14, 1946

Chungking, March 14, 1946

[Present:]	General Chou En-lai
	General Tang [Tung]
	Mr. Chang Wen-chin
	General A. C. Gillem
	Colonel Caughey
	Captain Horace Eng

Interim Training for Communist Troops for Integration

General Chou said that during the recent inspection tour of the Committee of Three he had discussed at length with Communist commanders in the field the interim training program for Communist troops for integration into the National Army, and that he would summarize the results and impression of such discussions.

Firstly, with respect to the number of trainees, General Chou said that it was his understanding that General Marshall indicated once the feasibility of including company officers in the training program, although the present called for only battalion officers and above, totalling 430. The inclusion of company officers, General Chou said, would more than double that number, as there were 600 company commanders and deputy commanders in the 10 Communist divisions. He continued that if more American instructors were available there would be no problem, otherwise the problem could be solved by training such company officers by the officers who were being trained.

General Chou said that according to the Government’s plan for the reorganization of the army, during the process of reorganization, brigades would be formed. According to the present plan, the training of the brigade commanders was not contemplated. If brigade commanders were to be included, then the 40 brigade commanders and deputy commanders of the 10 Communist divisions would be added to the number of trainees.

Secondly, with respect to the 3 month training period, General Chou said that it was his understanding that the first 6 weeks would be devoted to training, and the following month to maneuvres in the field. General Chou said that a 6 week training period was, in his opinion, too short, and that past training of Communist officers consisted of only tactical training and no staff or organizational training. He asked if it was feasible to combine two classes to be trained, and to make the period of training 6 months.

General Gillem said that the present training plan was designed to give only basic training to the divisions, during the interim period, before they were integrated, and that more detailed and comprehensive training would become available as soon as the MAG³⁹ was set up. In connection with the number of trainees, General Gillem said that the present plan might be modified to take in more trainees, but that the plan was designed to insure the assimilation of training methods by the commanders of battalions and above who would return to their respective units to spread instruction to their subordinate echelons.

General Gillem pointed out that this was the plan outlined to him by General Marshall, and that the plan envisaged three procedures elementary in nature, namely, infantry, cavalry and staff training, much after the manner of training followed by the United States Army. It was admitted, he continued, that the plan constituted the orientation of the Communist commander to American methods, and that the plan in general would take in three aspects, explanational, demonstrational, and imitational.

General Chou said that he questioned the adequacy of 6 weeks as a period of training on the following ground:

a. That the translation of instructional materials would require more than half of the stipulated 6 weeks;

b. That the shortness of the 6 week period would not be sufficient to take in also company commanders;

c. That the training program under the MAG would cover only training in specially established school, thereby depriving the company commander the opportunity to be trained.

General Gillem said that in drawing up the training plan, the question of the amount of time required for translation work had been considered; that the inclusion of company commanders in the training plan would be discussed with Colonel McClure; and that the training program under the MAG would include special schools for infantry, artillery, and armored training, and a combined school for staff training. General Gillem reiterated that the present training plan represented only an interim training pending the integration of the Army and the establishment of the MAG.

General Gillem continued that the amount of equipment requested was not great; that there was no equipment presently available in the China Theater; and that the amount of equipment requested to arrive in increments according to a schedule would barely meet the requirements of the plan. It was visualized that by the time the divisions were ready for integration, service areas would have been set up, & units would have been demobilized thereby releasing equipment for reallocation.

When asked how long were periods of training for Nationalist troops, Colonel Caughey said that the period of training for Nationalist troops formerly conducted in Kunming was staff training 9 months and that infantry, field artillery, and mechanical training 6 months; and that the general principle was that American instructors would not go into the field but remain in centrally located training centers.

General Gillem added that the durations of the above mentioned periods would form the basis for determining the length of instruction in school under the MAG, and that the preliminary work to set up these schools would take some time. It might be possible that trainees be sent to the United States for training. Meanwhile, the scope of corresponding schools in the United States would be studied with a view to introducing similar training curricula in China.

General Chou said that he wished to summarize his understanding of this meeting as follows:

a. That the present plan constituted only an interim training for integration;

b. That Communist staff officers would be selected to attend the more advanced schools under the training program of the MAG;

c. That with respect to the number of trainees, General Gillem would discuss with Colonel McClure;

d. That interim training would be instituted on or about the 15th of April;

e. That equipment would arrive in increments according to a schedule, and that necessary equipment would be issued to the divisions for training purposes;

f. That the training center would be located at Kalgan where ample Japanese-built barracks could be utilized.

General Gillem said that with respect to (a), (b), and (c), he agreed, but with respect to (d), he was afraid that the target date of April 15 might not be met, and that with regard to (e), equipment for unit training in the division would have to come from the reallocation of equipment after the demobilization of divisions, inasmuch as equipment requested would meet only the needs of the training plan for Communist troops for integration into the National Army.

39. Military Advisory Group.