Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
General Marshall to Colonel Marshall S. Carter17
788. Please deliver the following message from me to Mr. John Carter Vincent.18
Regarding your radio statement19 that military truce of January 10 does not apply to Manchuria, it does and always did in my opinion, despite Central Government implications to the contrary some time back. Misunderstanding partially arose due to the fact that no arrangement was made immediately after the agreement for truce teams to operate in Manchuria, as there was little trouble there in comparison with situation in North China, and there had been no Central Government–Communist disagreement or reluctance over negotiations, and also the presence of Russians presented a delicate problem because of American team captains. This did not mean, however, that cease fire should not be observed there in connection with the provision that Government troops were to be free to move into and within Manchuria for the purpose of establishing Chinese Sovereignty.
On January 24th I addressed in writing20 to the Generalissimo and Chou En-lai, a recommendation that truce teams be immediately dispatched to Manchuria. Chou agreed, and later on frequently urged [Page 912] such action. The Generalissimo declined to approve, stating a fear that the Russians would demand equal representation along with Americans.
- Colonel Carter was General Marshall’s representative in Washington, acting as a liaison officer in the Department of State.↩
- Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State.↩
- A radio (NBC) broadcast of May 25, originating in Springfield, Mass., in which Rep. Walter H. Judd, of Minnesota, and Rep. Hugh DeLacy, of Washington, discussed the subject “Our Policy in China”, with Mr. Vincent giving the point of view of the U. S. Government. This was the 67th radio discussion of an NBC series on “Our Foreign Policy”.↩
- See memorandum by General Marshall to General Chang Chun, January 24, p. 375.↩