Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to General Marshall
My Dear General Marshall: I am fundamentally in agreement with the proposals contained in your letter of May 26. I wish to put forward the following points for the implementation of your proposals and in order to render even clearer their meaning and purpose. The painful experience I have encountered during the past five months has compelled me to be more precise and definite in dealing with the Communists. The following points, I earnestly hope, will have your full understanding and support:
- 1.
- With regard to the hope you expressed that I issue orders to the National forces to halt their advance and pursuit of the Communists, this is not only your earnest desire but also the very object of my trip here. But I must ask you to secure the assurances of the Communists that the Agreement for Army Reorganization will be immediately and first put into effect in the Northeast. I must also ask you to formulate immediately and let me know the concrete measures for the enforcement of the above-mentioned Agreement. As to the setting up of Executive Field Teams in the Northeast, these may be constituted on the day of issue of the cease-fire order.
- 2.
- Regarding the recovery of the sovereignty of the Northeast, it is clear that the Government cannot abandon the taking-over of the administration of any area. As to the method of taking-over, the Government may, however, agree to send, after the National forces have halted their advance, only administrative officials and such military and police force as are absolutely necessary for the maintenance of local order and communications to take over the administration of [Page 908] the various areas not yet taken over, and areas which were once taken over but subsequently seized by Communist forces. The Communists must cause no obstruction in this regard.
- 3.
- Regarding the restoration of railroad and other communications, I believe the American Representative must be entrusted with the authority of decision, and he must be given the power to lay down the time limit for the completion of the task. Otherwise, it will be impossible to ensure the materialization of the objective.
- 4.
- Regarding the scope of the American Representative’s authority of decision, I am able to appreciate the difficult position in which you find yourself and therefore I agree with your suggestion that such authority should be confined to specific matters. However, all executive matters relating to the restoration of railroad and other communications must be included in the scope of such authorities.
- 5.
- Regarding the question of “guarantee”, what I expect of you is that in regard to all the agreements you have participated in signing—Agreement for the cessation of Hostilities, Agreement for the Restoration of Communications and Agreement for Army Reorganization—you will set time limits for the putting into effect of such agreements and will assume the responsibility of supervision over the strict observance of such agreements on the part of the Communists, so as to avoid any further delays.