Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
General Marshall to Colonel Marshall S. Carter
915. Reurad 91312,65 my desire is to relieve U. S. Government of embarrassment in controlling those ships now with complete Chinese personnel. Only this morning I had to countermand the orders of the Gimo66 to troops enroute from Canton to Shanghai to proceed on to Tsingtao and reenforce the Chinese National Garrison there in connection with the current fighting in Shantung Province. Furthermore, these vessels are handling army supplies to Manchuria which procedure is under constant Communist propaganda attack as American shipping, though not flying U. S. flag. The date of June 20th has great significance as it anticipates the close of the present partial truce at noon on June 22nd and the possibility of the failure to reach the necessary agreements to finally terminate hostilities, in which event a general civil war would probably develop.
Do your very best to get these 10 vessels under Chinese flag at the earliest possible moment.