Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Memorandum by General Chou En-lai to General Marshall
Dear General Marshall: Reference is made to my memorandum MM 028 [025] dated June 11, 1946,35 in which I brought to your attention the fact that by taking advantage of conducting survey of truce violation actions to the south of Hsuanhwatien, the Field Team 32 withdrew to Hankow on June 7 without notifying General Li Hsien-nien and the Communist member of the team.
A recent message just received from Hankow reported that there was indication of the team not to return to Hsuanhwatien and the United States member intended to convert the team into a mobile one.
Under the present conditions confronting the Communist Central Military Area, which you know pretty well, the withdrawal of Team 32 in defiance to original instruction will in all probability give rise to augmented hostilities, if not unhappy incidents of more serious nature. You are therefore requested to secure the issuance of an [Page 710] instruction to the team for its return to the base at Hsuanhwatien as was originally instructed.
- Not found in Department files.↩