Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
Brigadier General Henry A. Byroade to Lieutenant General Alvan C. Gillem, Jr.
1323. Your 38644 noted. Please refer to my 1289.45 My urgent recommendation is that Committee of Three depart Chungking Sunday for Peiping, remain overnight Peiping, depart Peiping with Commissioners Monday morning, lunch at Chinchow Monday noon, pick up General Hsuing Shih Hui and military commander at Chinchow and arrive Mukden Monday afternoon. By that time I can have Communist General Lin Piao in Mukden. If you can do this and have answers to Robertson’s questions you will greatly improve the situation.
Recommendation above based upon rapidly moving edicts this afternoon. General Tsai, senior Nationalist here, stated he could not agree to allow teams to depart for Manchuria. This was based upon many contacts today by him with Chinchow. General Hsuing Shih Hui there insists he has no instructions from the Generalissimo and that teams should not enter Manchuria. However, he welcomes my visit there tomorrow. For your own information (request you do not quote), General Tsai clearly stated they did not want us to enter until they had captured Changchun. He further stated that our presence in Manchuria would stop righting and movement and prevent National troops from occupying Manchuria. He also stated that the Nationalists would not meet with Communist General Lin Piao until they received instructions from the Generalissimo. I told him our [Page 715] orders from the Committee of Three were clear regarding putting teams immediately into Manchuria and that they must depart on Saturday schedule.
I am departing tomorrow to carry out plan in 1289. I have informed both sides here on my request for Committee of Three to follow schedule above. Both agree it was good plan. Details of trip will be worked out by Headquarters in my absence. I repeat if your committee can arrive Monday in Mukden you may ease up [us?] over our greatest pitfall. If you can not do this, send any further agreements on Manchuria to Peiping which will be forwarded to me safehand Mukden. Also have Generalissimo instruct Chinchow on Manchurian agreement. Also wish me luck.