Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
General Marshall to President Truman and the Under Secretary of State (Acheson)
681. Most confidentially, Generalissimo informed me today that early last week Attaché Russian Embassy here requested him to have his son, who speaks Russian and made special trip to Moscow last winter, call on Russian Ambassador. Son was in Peiping, so Generalissimo proposed to send Secretary Foreign Affairs. Russians said no, that the matter was secret and personal. Son was then brought from Peiping and saw Russian Ambassador Thursday last. He was told that Stalin desired Generalissimo to go to Moscow immediately on completion of meeting now in progress in Paris. Generalissimo replied that the situation in China was so serious that he could not leave China at this time.
He said that he had not told me of the affair until he had given his answer as he did not wish to run the risk of embarrassing me.
I replied that, speaking purely personally and without any guidance from my Government, I wished to say that our interest was for peace in China, for a united China; that as for Manchuria we of course wished to see Dairen a genuine free port and American business to have access to Manchuria in common with others, but that peace was our great purpose. We would have no suspicions whatever as to his motives and no resentment regarding such a conference with Stalin. [Page 842] That, as a matter of fact, if Stalin should propose the good offices of the Soviet Government to bring the Chinese Communist[s] in Manchuria to a reasonable agreement with Chinese Central Government provided no U. S. officers were utilized in adjustments or negotiation of Manchurian difficulties I personally would favor his agreement with Soviets. We were working for peace and not special privileges, and I for one would welcome a helpful intercession by Soviets to compose Manchurian crisis.