[Enclosure—Paraphrase]
Lieutenant General Alvan C.
Gillem, Jr., to General Marshall
[Peiping,] 5 November 1946.
10787 [Paraphrase]. 171596 is reference. Ill will and suspicion against
American officers in the field, in my opinion, has reached the point
where it would not destroy the usefulness of the teams but it would
retard their work in Communist Party territory. Remaining largely
unimpaired is the civilian confidence, in Communist areas, in the
personal integrity and intent of the individual American officers
assigned to Field Teams. The rank and file of the Communist Party
army, on the other hand, are antagonistic, under the surface, as a
result of the vicious propaganda. These rank and file regard
conciliation with a tongue in cheek attitude. With a reversal in the
controlled Anti-American propaganda, such could change overnight, I
believe.
A complete lack of spontaneity appears to be the common denominator
for all Communist inspired demonstrations. American witnesses
unanimously indicate that such demonstrations as they have seen are
supervised by the Communist Army authorities, deliberately staged,
and attended by the people on order. Except when pressurized, the
Anti-American campaign in liberated areas has been apparently
unproductive as concerns the people and soldiers in the non-formal
Army. There remains a doubt that the distrust and feeling of
antagonism on the part of the formal army and the usual petty
officials with whom, unfortunately, the teams are in frequent
contact, has been intensified by the campaign. Taking the changes in
the attitude of usual contacts as a gauge, the effectiveness of the
field teams therefore has been adversely affected.
In the event of successful negotiation leading to cessation of
hostilities, the effectiveness of our teams in Communist Party
territory, will therefore be improved in direct proportion to the
positive action by senior Communist Party authorities, endorsing our
efforts as mediators, in instituting measures which will reverse the
current propaganda which is Anti-American.
Will send more complete information by letter.
