Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Memorandum by General Chou En-lai to General Marshall
Reference the dike repair work of the lower Yellow River, I am deeply indebted to you for your sympathetic assistance.
Since the beginning of the repair work, 237,000 men were mobilized, who require 300 tons of flour and CNC $150,000,000 per day. It was [Page 1244] formerly agreed upon that the Government of Liberated Areas will mobilize workers, whereas the Central Government and CNRRA will supply flour, labour and materiel expenses. Unfortunately, only some 500 tons of flour was shipped to the Liberated Areas up to now, not a single cent was remitted there for wage and materiel expenses, nor has any medical relief been sent in. Under such circumstances, the workers’ morale is going down, and many of them asked the work be stopped. The Government of Liberated Areas did every effort within its power to borrow or advance the money needed. Nevertheless, owing to the financial limitations, it is impossible for the Government of Liberated Areas to maintain the repair work for a long time. Should there be danger of discontinuance of the work, the Government of Liberated Areas could of course not be held responsible. It was learned that the Central Government appropriated the sum of 3 billion CN dollars for the Liberated Areas; yet it has not reached the destined places.
I wrote a detailed letter3 regarding this matter to Mr. Franklin Ray.4 Any assistance you would render to us will be greatly appreciated.
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