Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
General Marshall to Colonel Henry A. Byroade64
42. Incident of Chihfeng and Tolun is subject. I have today received the following copy of a letter from Chou En-lai to Chang Chun:
[Here follows text of General Chou’s letter, printed supra.]
I suggest that you endeavor to organize and send at the soonest possible moment a sub-headquarters team to Chihfeng to contact the Nationalist column and the Communist armies and advise them of the cease fire orders and to insure that hostilities cease immediately. You will note that units of the Twenty-second Division and Ninety-second Army are reported to be marching toward other places. This sub-headquarters team should proceed to all trouble spots in the area to inform the units involved of the cessation order. It is imperative that these units of both armies now engaging in hostilities be informed of the cessation order without delay to prevent continuation of serious incidents which may jeopardize the entire truce. I suggest that you begin your arrangements to seek an agreement in the Executive Headquarters and dispatch a sub-headquarters team to the above areas immediately on receipt of this message. I desire to [Page 344] be informed of all developments in this matter and to be advised of your action by urgent reply. Please acknowledge receipt this message immediately.65
- Subsequently promoted to Brigadier General, in charge of Operations Section of Executive Headquarters.↩
- In telegram No. 43, January 14, not printed, General Marshall telegraphed text of General Chang Chun’s reply to General Chou, infra, and, referring to telegram No. 42, requested Colonel Byroade to “take immediate similar action in this instance”.↩