893.00/1–1746

Memorandum by the Committee of Three to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek 75

Subject: Organization of Executive Headquarters.

The approval by Your Excellency and Chairman Mao Tse-tung of the directive to cease hostilities makes it mandatory that the Executive Headquarters become operational at once. The Headquarters should be kept as small as possible for convenience and celerity of operation.

Mr. Walter S. Robertson, who has been nominated as the American Commissioner of the Executive Headquarters, will have initially a staff of not to exceed four persons; a political advisor, an aide, a stenographer, and a translator.

The Operations Section, under Colonel Henry A. Byroade, must contain the necessary personnel to operate various sub-headquarters in critical areas, maintain communications, furnish the required office and housekeeping overhead, etc. The American portion of this Section is initially planned to consist of approximately 26 American officers, 68 enlisted men, and 30 Chinese civilian employees.

Attached is the type of organization76 Colonel Byroade has planned for the American portion of the Operations Section. Request that you provide, as a matter of urgency, a similar group for the National Government’s staff of the Operations Section.

Colonel Byroade will go to Peiping on 11 January 1946 to establish the Executive Headquarters and to assemble the American personnel.

Mr. Robertson will be ready to depart on 13 January 1946. It would be most advantageous if the Commissioner of the National Government, as well as the Communist Commissioner, could be prepared for departure together. General Marshall will provide his personal C–54 aircraft for this purpose.

The staffs for the Executive Headquarters and Operations Section should be organized immediately. The National Government and the Communist Party staffs should each, at least as a beginning, consist of not more than forty officers and ninety enlisted men.

It is very important that adequate facilities be available before arrival of this personnel. It is therefore recommended that the personnel to be assigned to the Operations Section be scheduled to start arrival in Peiping on 15 January. At least half of this personnel should have reported in Peiping by 19 January and the remainder not later than 26 January 1946.

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A similar memorandum is being forwarded to Chairman Mao Tse-tung.77

Chang Chun
Chou En-lai
G. C. Marshall

Signed on 10 January 1946

Handed to General Chang Chun
by General Marshall for delivery
to the Generalissimo

  1. Copy transmitted to the Secretary of State by General Marshall with his memorandum of January 17; received January 31.
  2. Not printed.
  3. Not printed.