Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Minutes of Signing of the Basis for Military Reorganization and for the Integration of the Communist Forces Into the National Army, Held in the Office of the Aide to Generalissimo Chiang, February 25, 1946, 4 p.m.
General Marshall: (Speaking to General Chang previous to arrival of General Chou). When would you like to have the next meeting to decide on the next steps to be taken? General Chou spoke to me today about possibly meeting this afternoon. I told him that was all right with me, but that I would prefer tomorrow because I would have prepared some papers on any suggestions I might have to make.
Generl Chang: I will do as you do.
General Marshall: When tomorrow?
General Chang: Inasmuch as you will spend the night with the Generalissimo, it may be more agreeable to you to have the meeting in the afternoon.
General Marshall: What hour?
General Chang: General Chang is not very clear about the nature of the next meeting.
General Marshall: We have to prepare certain detailed plans in order to get the basis for carrying this into execution. I will have a rough draft of the first papers to get that underway and I think we should decide whether the form of those preliminary papers is acceptable and then how you are going to organize to have that worked out in detail. The work, as I see it, will have to be done in two steps. There are certain minor directives that we should agree upon here and I think the staff officers who are to go to Executive Headquarters should take those minor directives and commence the work on the details for our approval before they go to Peking. I assume that we would attach and make a part of the Executive Headquarters a new section to that staff whose sole job is carrying these agreements into execution, but I think that new section should be formed here and not in Peking and do a portion of its work here before it goes to Peking. Peking is busy with many things now and we should not give them the task of organizing the section up there and setting it to the preliminary work on the details. Their present people know nothing about this at all. I have had General Caraway, General Wedemeyer’s previous Chief of Staff with a group of four or five officers at work on the various aspects of this problem. Now I would like to have their first proposals considered here by yourself and General Chou so that we can have your modifications or your counter proposals and then you can bring your officers in to [Page 292] form this section right here to start to work. This is a tremendous task if it is done in an orderly manner and it will require very able staff work so I think we must make the most careful approach.
(At this point General Chou entered the meeting)
General Chou: I am very sorry that I couldn’t wear a uniform but I couldn’t find the insignia.
General Marshall: I see you got a haircut anyway. I think you will photograph very nicely.
General Chang: General Chou was once Deputy Director of Political Training Department24 when General Chen Chin25 was the Director.
General Marshall: I would like to suggest that you allow us to have one English copy signed for our record and I would suggest that we sign that up here and just deal with the Chinese copy downstairs. I don’t want to introduce an English copy downstairs. One copy for our record. Is that agreeable?
(General Chang and General Chou both agreed.)
General Chou: General Chou points out that later if there is any difference in interpretation of the Chinese text then they would use the English text as the basis.
General Marshall: Don’t tell the people of China that though.
(The signing of three original English texts26 then took place, one copy given to General Chang Chih Chung, one to General Chou En-lai and one to General Marshall).
General Chang: General Chang asks if there is any other advice or any comments you would like to give them.
General Marshall: I think school can be dismissed until 4 o’clock tomorrow.
General Chang: General Chang asks whether the classroom will be changed.
General Marshall: I leave that to the students to decide.
General Chang: We will leave the classroom the same.
General Chou: General Marshall! General Chou understands you will have the outline prepared and asks if you would send over a copy to him for preparation for the meeting.
General Marshall: I will do that and if you desire to have General Caraway explain it I will have him make an appointment. I will send it over first and then he can probably help to make explanations.
General Chang: General Chang and General Chou think that after the signing of the document they both will speak a few words to the [Page 293] correspondents explaining the significance of the signatures this afternoon and at the same time to express their appreciation of your advice and that they also hope that you will also speak a few words to the press.
General Marshall: Yes.
(Party then proceeded to first floor where signing was to take place).
(Signing took place at 1615 with General Chang Chih Chung signing first, then General Chou En-lai and then General Marshall).
General Chang: This afternoon is the occasion of the signature of the basis for military reorganization and for the integration of Communist troops into National Army reached in the Military Sub-Committee consisting of the Government representative, General Chang Chih Chung; the representative of the Communist Party, General Chou En-lai, with General Marshall as an advisor and this has great significance indeed. In the past 18 years the Government and the Communist Party has been hostile to each other. The so-called Communist problem or civil war problem in this country in the struggle in the last 18 years has cost the lives of millions of people, the delay in the reconstruction of this country for a very considerable period of time. The signatures this afternoon put an end to the long struggle between the Government and the Communists. Henceforth we are entering into a new period of peaceful reconstruction of the country and we will give up the military force as an instrument for political supremacy. By the signing of the papers this afternoon the democratic, unified and peaceful period will lie ahead. That is the hope of everybody in this country and by the signing of the paper this afternoon, that will all materialize. In the successful accomplishment of the PCC were laid the firm basis for democracy in the politics of this country and the signing of this document this afternoon will lay a foundation for the nationalization of the armies in this country. Henceforth everyone in this country will contribute in the establishment in the reconstruction of this country to the ideal goal of the three principles of Sun Yat Sen and from these signatures this afternoon that will be carried on by everyone and it will, of course, have some hope for early accomplishment. I, being the representative of the Government, can say categorically that the Government side will carry out the plan signed this afternoon 100% and will spare no effort to carry out the contents of the plan in order to reach the goal of the nationalization of the armies in China. For what we have accomplished here today, and I think General Chou will share my opinion, we owe so much to General Marshall. For his advice as advisor to the Military Sub-Committee. The people in this country have created several titles for General Marshall. Certain people call [Page 294] General Marshall the midwife of the unification and peaceful reconstruction of China. Certain people call General Marshall the go-between of the Communist Party and the Government. Certain people call General Marshall the great ambassador of peace sent by the American government and the American people to China. I am of the opinion that no matter which you like best every one will suit General Marshall completely. Now the materializing of the unification and reconstruction of the country will be in sight and we must say that we owe so very much to the greatest friend of China, General Marshall. Everyone will know that General Marshall being the leading strategist in the world, he being the Chief of Staff of the U. S. and on the Chiefs of Staff for the United Nations, under his able leadership he won the victory for the United Nations. I, representing the Government, would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to General Marshall.
General Chou: General Marshall, General Chang and all the friends here. Today is a great day of success because now we have signed the basis for the reorganization of the Chinese armies and for the integration of the Communist forces in the National Army. As all you friends may recall, though this year has only passed a very small portion of time still we have accomplished many big things. First, on January 10 in the residence of General Marshall, we have signed the agreement for the cessation of hostilities, then on January 31st at the Hall of the National Government, we reached five decisions of the PCC and now today we are signing the basis for the reorganization of the Chinese armies. All this explains that during this short time we have accomplished many great things and thus laid down the basis for the big task ahead of us. Now with these [this?] basis of decisions and agreements we may say just as General Chang has just stated that we have made a big step toward the democratization of politics, the nationalization of the armies and the equality of the parties. In carrying out these agreements and decisions you may expect that there will be some difficulties and obstructions, but on the other hand we also feel confident that all these difficulties can be overcome and the obstructions will be swept away if the Government and the Chinese Communist Party and particularly the Chinese people would firmly uphold these agreements and basis and in this way I feel confident that no difficulty and obstruction can impede our marching forward. Now standing here as the representative of the Chinese Communist Party I can assure the friends present, the Chinese people and all the Allied Nations that we will carry out all the documents and particularly the basis one hundred per cent and without reservation. Now this basis stipulated—provided for the reorganization of the Chinese armies and for the integration of the Communist forces [Page 295] into the National armies. This basis is applicable throughout the country without any exception with respect to any particular area and without exception to any particular armed forces. This basis, just as General Chang has said, will be a safeguard of the people of China and I feel confident that by the execution of this basis we will completely change the picture which has been dominating in China for the last 18 years which is characterized by armed fighting and this basis will lay down the peaceful foundation for the democratic system, economic reconstruction and unification of the country and the unification of all forces in China and this will bring China up to the level of a modern country. In the same way as General Chang has said, I think this time, as similar to the last time when we reached the agreement on the cessation of hostilities, that this should be attributed to General Marshall’s assistance and efforts and we wish to express our thanks to him. I personally am very honored to work together with the world’s well-known strategist in accomplishing this plan. Similarly I wish to express my thanks to General Chang who has cooperated for many times with me during the past twenty years and General Chang has equally made a great contribution for this plan toward the peace and military reorganization for China. Also as all the newspaper friends and the press friends are here I wish—I am aware that this plan will be distributed throughout the country and to the world abroad and I hope that through your efforts you will call all the Chinese people and foreign friends to encourage and to supervise our work and to have it put into effect.
General Marshall: I am deeply grateful to General Chang and General Chou for the generous expressions regarding me and I am even more grateful for the generous matter [manner] in which they met me throughout these negotiations. This agreement, I think, represents the great hope of China. I can only trust that its pages will not be soiled by a small group of irreconcilables who for a separate purpose would defeat the Chinese people in their overwhelming desire for peace and prosperity. Thank you.