Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
Colonel Marshall S. Carter to General Marshall
87444. Reur 1855. The following message is transmitted to you at the request of Acting Secretary of State Dean Acheson:
“We are pleased that you have indicated in 1855 your concurrence in the idea of issuing a statement on China. The proposed statement is being sent to you separately.12
The views you express have been carefully noted. You are no doubt aware of an increasing tendency here to lose patience with the Chinese who so far have failed to follow your good and impartial advice. There is of course a concurrent desire from Right and Left for a restatement of policy toward China, the extremists on one side calling for all-out support of Chiang and those on the other side advocating a complete withdrawal of support. There is also a widely expressed feeling among impartial observers that they have not been kept fully informed of our actions in China. We have, as you know, from time to time issued statements on separate subjects such as the surplus deal and Marines in China but we have never put the picture together as a whole. It was with the idea of doing so, and because we thought there was a certain urgency in the matter, that we prepared the statement being sent to you. It was not done with the idea, as you will see, of giving a full report and interpretation of your mission, and we have therefore purposely not utilized your; ‘final report’. As a matter of fact, it is our feeling that a full release [Page 610] based on your report could be made at the appropriate time in addition to the statement we have in mind.
With the foregoing considerations in mind, I wonder whether, after you read the proposed statement, you will still feel that its release should be delayed for the reasons set forth in the second paragraph of your 1855. I ask this question because of our belief that a statement should be made as soon as practicable; that is, as soon as you think that its issuance will not interfere with your mission.
We would welcome whatever additions or deletions you believe desirable in our draft statement.”
- Infra.↩