Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Minutes of Meeting Between General Marshall and General Yu Ta-wei at No. 5 Ning Hai Road, Nanking, August 23, 1946, 10 a.m.
| Also present: | Colonel Caughey |
[Here follows discussion of jurisdiction with respect to certain German nationals accused of offenses during or after the war.]
General Yu Ta Wei asked General Marshall if he was still proposing to go to Kuling this date. General Marshall answered in the affirmative.
General Yu Ta Wei stated that General Chou En Lai was in a quandary as to whether or not the Generalissimo’s five military conditions were still in effect in connection with the political discussions by Doctor Stuart’s small group. General Yu went on to clarify that there is no connection between the Generalissimo’s five military conditions and the political negotiations to be conducted by Doctor Stuart’s small group. He added, however, that the Government is not waiving these five military conditions but rather are willing to let the five conditions rest until after Doctor Stuart’s small group has been able to reach an agreement.
General Marshall said that while he was in Kuling last weekend he had had a discussion with the Generalissimo, at which time the Generalissimo had questioned General Marshall’s information from Carson Chang86 that the Communists were ready to designate their representatives for the State Council and requested that the information be checked. General Marshall told the Generalissimo that he would put the question to General Chou En Lai, which he did through Colonel Caughey. General Marshall went on to say that in a later meeting the Generalissimo was most explicit that in any approach to General Chou En Lai the idea not be given General Chou that the Generalissimo was proposing the formation of the special group with Doctor Stuart as chairman; that the idea should come from General [Page 70] Marshall personally. Later the Generalissimo through General Yu emphasized the importance of Chou En Lai not being led to believe that the Generalissimo was pressing for this action, and especially that he had stipulated that the Special group should not discuss the reorganization of the Executive Yuan. General Marshall told General Yu Ta Wei that Colonel Caughey had questioned General Chou En Lai regarding delegates and that this particular transaction had been announced by the Communists to the press. General Marshall added however that he had explained to American press representatives that the transaction was completely his idea.
General Marshall stated that the reason he was rushing off to Kuling was to get the Generalissimo to designate his two members for Doctor Stuart’s small group. This was based on the fact that General Chou En Lai had agreed to the convening of Doctor Stuart’s small group in an effort to seek a basis for the establishment of the State Council.
General Marshall told General Yu Ta Wei that the situation was becoming worse day by day. In the meantime the Communists would be driven to seek outside support, such as Russian, which ultimately would make it more difficult to bring together both sides in a peaceful solution.
General Marshall then told General Yu Ta Wei that he had received from General Chou En Lai a letter87 in which General Chou stated that he had received information from a reliable source to the effect that the National Government is proposing to use gas against Communist forces. General Marshall advised General Yu Ta Wei that if the Chinese Government had any gas that they should immediately destroy it; that this action on the part of the National Government if carried out promptly would be the most effective means of counter-propaganda toward the Communists, who no doubt would publish this widely. General Marshall pointed out that the National Government could not lose by adopting this course since he was quite certain that they did not have enough gas to do any real harm anyway.