Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
Colonel George V. Underwood to Colonel Marshall S. Carter
2117. 211332 refers. Last night the garrison commanders in Nanking, Shanghai, and Chungking notified the local Communist delegations that they must close their offices and evacuate National Government territory by 5 March. Today Mister Wang Ping-nan asked the Embassy to extend the 5 March deadline to 15 March. He was informed that an extension of more than several days was unlikely.
This evening I furnished Mister Wang Ping-nan the flight plan for the Communist evacuation of the three cities. This plan will permit completion of the task by 7 March, subject to weather and technical operation difficulties. The National Government has also been informed of this flight plan. The National Government is expected to cooperate in the 2-day extension of our deadline. The Communist Party will probably seek further extension of the deadline but, barring unforeseen developments, we intend to adhere to the new plan.
New but perhaps related subject: report just received from Clubb,33 Consul General in Mukden, that Major Rigg34 and Captain Collins,35 the two AMA’s36 in Mukden, have been captured by the CCP apparently on the outskirts of Mukden [Changchun] where a battle is reported to be in progress.