Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Minutes of Conference Between General Marshall and General Yu Ta-wei at 5 Ning Hai Road, Nanking, June 18, 1946, 9:15 a.m.
General Yu Ta Wei informed General Marshall that the meeting at 0630 between General Hsu and himself and General Chou En-lai was not at all satisfactory. General Yu said that General Chou had become “wild” and acted in a disgraceful manner. General Yu took the view that General Chou’s action was not called for since the Generalissimo wanted to give the Communists the best chance possible.
General Marshall asked if they had talked about the Manchuria situation. General Yu stated that they had discussed communication problems and had gotten nowhere, and that when they discussed Manchuria, General Chou saw no reason for arbitration with reference to evacuating Jehol and Chahar or for vacating Chefoo and Wei Hai Wei. General Chou asked that the two extra Communists divisions in Manchuria be an increase to their ten ultimate divisions. General Yu said that then the question of the American deciding the vote had come up and General Chou posed the question “What would happen if I suggested that a Russian have the decisive vote”?
General Marshall asked General Yu if there were any grounds for common solution, to which General Yu replied that he thought not and then told General Marshall that the Generalissimo wanted to have his (General Marshall’s) reaction to the meeting. General Marshall replied that he knew the Generalissimo’s terms were too harsh. What concerned him at the moment was what concessions could be made by the Generalissimo. In short, is there any common ground. General Yu replied that General Chou was aggravated and resentful regarding the Jehol, Chahar and Shantung stipulations and brought up again the question of American decision which was not acceptable to the Communist Party.
General Marshall informed General Yu that General Chou had decided not to go to Yenan. General Marshall stated that he thought [Page 1083] General Chou would possibly seek an appointment with him tomorrow and that possibly, out of today’s meetings, something could be developed.
General Yu insisted that the answer to the North China, as well as the Manchuria question, was to get the Communist forces into specific areas. General Marshall replied that that would evoke the natural fear on the part of the Communists of being concentrated in an area to facilitate ultimate destruction.
General Yu concluded by saying that he had talked to the Generalissimo who is willing to give the Communists more generous areas and he asked General Marshall to have his Staff Officers prepare a solution.