Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Minutes of Meeting Between General Marshall and Dr. Stuart at No. 5 Ning Hai Road, Nanking, October 30, 1946, 5:30 p.m.
| Also present: | Colonel Caughey |
Doctor Stuart reported that he had seen Mister Hu Lin, Editor of Ta Kung Pao, who indicated that, as a result of the conference with General Chou, he (Mr. Hu) felt that General Chou was of the opinion [Page 452] that the Third Party had bungled their participation in the negotiations. Mister Hu was of the opinion that General Chou En Lai had completely baffled and won out over the Third Party in all of the discussions that took place.
Doctor Stuart then reported that he had seen the Generalissimo today. Doctor Stuart said he told the Generalissimo that during his lifetime he had taken two major steps: the first, when he joined the Kuomintang Party for the purpose of instituting reforms in China; and the second, when he became a Christian. Doctor Stuart continued by stating that he encouraged the Generalissimo to take a third major step toward solving the present difficulties and establishing a democratic nation. The Generalissimo then asked Doctor Stuart how he might take this third step. Doctor Stuart stated that he had told the Generalissimo that he should: reduce the army to a modern armed force which would not prey upon, but rather protect the people; reform civil administration with respect to both the Central Government itself and the local governments in the various provinces. Doctor Stuart had advised the Generalissimo that he could accomplish the governmental reform through the intellectuals and by establishing immediately a national assembly with ample opportunity for the Communists to participate therein. Doctor Stuart said the Generalissimo then stated he was ready to make two additional concessions (see inclosure).
General Marshall told Doctor Stuart that he was rather impressed with the conversation he had had with General C. P. Lee this morning and that General Lee had been talking with Mister Mo Teh-hui and Mister Tung Pi-wu. General Marshall stated that the reason he was impressed with General Lee’s comments was that General Lee had attempted to reduce the various outstanding issues to a practical basis with the object of establishing a modus operandi for continued negotiations.
General Marshall stated that he had discussed with Mister Hu Lin, on a previous occasion, the question of what ministers the Communists might want in a reorganized Executive Yuan. After a discussion, General Marshall and Doctor Stuart agreed that the Communists might logically hold positions of responsibility in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Communications (this was considered a very attractive idea by General Marshall, although he realized resistance would be strong by the Government, since a Communist Minister of Communications could not afford to fail in his job placing the failure in the lap of the whole Communist Party); Control Yuan.
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