Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Directive for the Reopening of Lines of Communications in North and Central China74
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- 1.
- All lines of communications in North and Central China will be opened without delay for free and unrestricted interchange of goods, foodstuffs and ideas, and for free and unrestricted civilian travel.
- 2.
- Reconstruction of railways will proceed immediately and will progress as rapidly as is consistent with the time limitations necessarily imposed by labor and materiel requirements. Time estimate for construction of the railroad lines is covered in Appendix A.
- 3.
- All local commanders and all team members shall expedite construction by all means within their power. No commander nor team member will permit interference with the construction work or with the work of removal or destruction of fortifications for any reason whatsoever.
- 4.
- Construction will start before 30 June 1946 at each of the
following points, under supervision of Communications teams and
under control of the MOC:
- Team No. 18—Tientsin–Pukow RR from Tsang Hsien to Te Hsien.
- Team No. 23—Tientsin–Pukow RR from Yucheng to Te Hsien.
- Team No. 23 or 16—Tientsin–Pukow RR from Taian to Yenchow.
- Team No. 24—Tientsin–Pukow RR from Hanchuan to Yenchow.
- Team No. 21—Tsinan–Tsingtao RR from Kaomi to Fengtze.
- Team No. 23 or 7—Tsinan–Tsingtao RR from Chengtien to Fengtze.
- Team No. 24 or 4—Lunghai RR from Hsuchow to Haichow.
- Construction on other railroad lines will be commenced at the earliest practicable date in conformance with the principles herein contained.
- 5.
- All mines, fortifications, blockades, blockhouses, and other military works lying within 1,000 meters on either side of the railroads listed above will be removed or destroyed simultaneously with construction, except those military works constructed for defense of, and lying within 1,000 meters of, vital railroad installations such as 1st or 2nd class railroad stations, tunnels, or bridges of total span of more than 5 meters, and within 200 meters of 3rd class stations. This work of removal or destruction will proceed in the direction of construction [Page 1188] within each of the 7 construction areas above listed, at such rate that the removal or demolition will, at all times, be completed for a distance of not less than 1,000 meters in advance of completed construction of the railroad. At the same time, other military works along the operating portions of the above-mentioned lines will be removed or destroyed at a constant rate such that the removal or destruction will have been completed on or before the date of completion of the railroad within the area of control of each of the above 7 listed teams. When work of restoration of the other railroad lines in North and Central China is commenced, this same principle shall apply. However, the Lunghai railroad west of Chenghsien and the Peiping–Hankow railroad south of Chenghsien are specifically exempted from the program for removal or destruction of military works, and the destruction or removal of military works along the Lunghai railroad between Hsuchow and Chenghsien will be deferred until __________. No new fortifications will be erected except to meet attacks against the railroad itself and only after approval by a communications team.
- 6.
- Before through traffic is permitted over the reopened sectors of the railroads, qualified railroad personnel of the CCP may be taken into the employ of the MOC in accordance with a plan to be determined. The qualifications of such personnel will be determined by examinations conducted by communications teams or by the Communications Group of the Executive Headquarters.
- 7.
- Detailed plans for the restoration of all other lines of communications in accordance with General Directive 4 will be covered by later agreement. This directive shall not prejudice in any way General Directive 4.
- Marginal notation: “Passed on 24 June, not signed”.↩