Office of the Historian

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram

Captain John L. Soong 29 to Colonel George V. Underwood, at Peiping

[Nanking,] 27 February 1947.

185. Chang Wen-chin30 called late yesterday afternoon to say that there are a total of 25 Communists to be evacuated to Yenan from Chungking, Shanghai, and Nanking with 4000 pounds of baggage. [Page 718] They will all be concentrated in Nanking and will be ready for shipment any day in March. This morning, Chang called again to say that it is learned the New China Daily News in Chungking was suspended from publication by the Government. Communist delegation here has placed a long distance call to Chungking to ascertain the facts. If true, the number of Communists to be evacuated from Chungking will be considerably increased. Chang said that he would attempt to inform this office by tomorrow as to the additional number of Communists to be withdrawn from Chungking. However, I have requested him to submit to this office the name list of the original 25 people by this afternoon to which he agreed. I shall pass the list to Colonel Rector with all the late information as soon as received by this office. Mr. Butterworth31 is being kept informed.

  1. U. S. Army language officer.↩
  2. Member of Chinese Communist Party delegation at Nanking.↩
  3. W. Walton Butterworth, Minister-Counselor of Embassy in China.↩