Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Notes on Meeting Between General Marshall and Dr. Stuart at No. 5 Ning Hai Road, Nanking, September 20, 1946, 10:45 a.m.
| Also present: | Colonel Caughey |
General Marshall showed Dr. Stuart a copy of a memorandum (OSE 44680) which he had written to General Chou En Lai in response to Mr. Wang Ping Nan’s request for a written reply to General Chou’s memorandum concerning the early meeting of the Committee of Three. General Marshall said he could only guess at exactly what Mr. Wang wanted, although he suspected it was for use in the press, therefore he was careful in wording the memorandum to avoid its being used by the Communists to indicate that he, or Dr. Stuart, was delaying negotiations.
[Page 211]Dr. Stuart told General Marshall of General Chou En Lai’s press release in Shanghai81 wherein General Chou stated that if the Committee of Three wasn’t convened he would publish the minutes of the past meetings. Dr. Stuart stated that he did not understand why General Chou adopted this attitude. General Marshall stated that he thought that this action, if it transpires, would be an attempt by General Chou to place the blame for failure of negotiations on the Government.
Dr. Stuart reported that he had sent Mr. Philip Fugh to see Mr. Wang to urge that General Chou come back from Shanghai as soon as possible to continue negotiations.
With respect to the overall situation, General Marshall stated that it was largely a game of “bluff” at the present time with each side attempting to force the other into an unfavorable position. General Marshall added that the Communists probably had an ulterior motive and that this is one of the reasons for their recent type of publicity. General Marshall stated that he felt the Communists believed this to be the way to obtain a cessation of hostilities.
Continuing the discussion with reference to publicity, General Marshall said that General Chou evidently is endeavoring to give the impression that he and Dr. Stuart are aligned with the Kuomintang. Their recent press accounts concerning lend-lease, surplus property, U. S. policy, etc., are for this purpose as well as to exert pressure on U. S. to force the Government’s hand. Dr. Stuart said that it is also possible that this publicity is leading up to an appeal to the United Nations. General Marshall agreed and added that the Communists may be trying to squeeze him out of negotiations and at the same time obtain Russian backing.
Dr. Stuart told General Marshall that the Democratic League had begun to break up and that Carson Chang was now starting a new party. General Marshall replied that this may have been the reason General Chou went to Shanghai.