Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Minutes of Meeting Between General Marshall and Dr. Stuart at No. 5 Ning Hai Road, Nanking, December 19, 1946, 6:30 p.m.
| Also present: | Colonel Caughey |
Dr. Stuart reported that he had seen the Generalissimo and that the Generalissimo had raised several questions with reference to the current situation: the Generalissimo had in mind having the National Government delegation go to Yenan as soon as possible because he was very anxious to have some sort of an indication from the Communists with reference to a settlement on the railroad question in North China; the Generalissimo wanted Dr. Stuart to ask General Marshall how it might be best to proceed with reorganization of the armies; and the Generalissimo wanted to know upon whom he was going to depend as advisors in the question of fundamental governmental structure. Dr. Stuart added that while he was visiting with [Page 643] the Generalissimo the Presidential Statement37 arrived and the Generalissimo asked what Dr. Stuart thought of it. Dr. Stuart stated that he told the Generalissimo that he considered it an accurate résumé of the U. S. policy toward China as that policy had developed in the past year.
General Marshall told Dr. Stuart that he had just had an appointment with Mr. Beal who took the view that the Presidential Statement was mainly for home consumption, which viewpoint General Marshall shared. General Marshall concluded the meeting by stating that the next two or three days would reveal interesting reactions in this regard.
- December 18, United States Relations With China, p. 689.↩