Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Memorandum by General Chou En-lai to General Marshall
General Yeh Chien-ying reported to me in the night of August 9 from Peiping that the special fact-finding mission in connection with the Anping Incident could not yet secure perfect cooperation among its members owing to the fact that the American and Nationalist representatives would not accept the proposition of the Communist representative, which to me seems to be a very reasonable one. The Communist proposal governing the procedure of the fact-finding set forth the following steps for investigation:
- (1)
- to hear the report of the representative of the U. S. Marine Commander;
- (2)
- to proceed to the Communist area to hear the report of the local Communist commander;
- (3)
- to hear the report of the Nationalist local authority;
- (4)
- to determine the eye-witness of the three sides, and to hear the testimony of the eye-witnesses;
- (5)
- any other essential actions;
- (6)
- to draw a conclusion from the fact-finding, and submit a report to the Commissioners for publication.
Both the American and Nationalist representatives in the two meetings held on August 9 refused to consider such a proposition, despite the fact that both Commissioners Yeh and Robertson saw the necessity of having it discussed.
It appears to me that the procedure proposition of the Communist representative is quite fair. And in the light of your yesterday’s statement that the procedure should be decided upon prior to the investigation, I request that should this proposed procedure meet your approval, you will kindly instruct the Executive Headquarters to issue order to the special fact-finding mission that it adopt this procedure and thus expedite the investigation.
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