Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
General Marshall’s Notes on a Conference With Dr. Wang Shihchieh,85 at Nanking, January 7, 1946, 1:30 p.m.
Dr. Wang came in for lunch with Dr. Stuart and immediately after lunch made the following statement to me:
The Generalissimo wished him to explain that he (the Generalissimo) was giving me a letter for the President86 but that it did not cover the following points which he wished me to convey to the President:
The Government intended to reorganize immediately, taking into the Government the representatives of non-party men, Young China Party, Democratic Socialist Party, and also Democratic League and the Communists if they were willing to participate.
If the Communists and the Democratic League members would not participate, it was essential that the Government go ahead without further delays in reorganizing and restoring communications. The situation would be difficult and the Generalissimo trusted that his problem would be sympathetically viewed by the United States Government.
Should the United States Government decide to evacuate its troops from China it was hoped that this would not be initiated during the midst of the present anti-foreign demonstrations; otherwise it would encourage these people to further efforts of the same violent nature. Also it was hoped that the troops would not be withdrawn until the establishment of the Military Advisory Group had been formally confirmed by Congress.
The Generalissimo also wished the United States Government to consider very carefully the plight of China with regard to the economic situation. He understood that the United States Government could not well lend financial assistance until there was definite evidence of reorganization of the Government on a more democratic basis. However, he wished me to make clear to the United States Government the critical necessity of China with regard to materiel and means to overcome the present difficulties in communications and in material resources to assist in reducing the present inflationary condition.