Office of the Historian

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram

Colonel Marshall S. Carter to General Marshall

[Washington,] 6 December 1946.

87133. Re 86852.98 The Navy informed me yesterday that they had received a cable from Admiral Cooke repeating to them a message from you to the effect that you had authorized a reduction of 4,000 Marines and stated that further reductions may be possible and would be the subject of subsequent discussions.

I passed this information to Mister Acheson through John Carter Vincent and subsequently received the following informal memorandum from Vincent:

“Mister Acheson has told me that he spoke to the President this morning about the Marines and told him of the message to the Navy Department containing a message from General Marshall to Cooke. I mean the message of which you spoke to me this morning and of which I immediately informed Mister Acheson.

Mister Acheson told the President that this message seemed to indicate that the matter was being worked out to the satisfaction of General Marshall.

[Page 888]

Mister Acheson further informed me that the President told him that he had informed the Secretary of the Navy and Admiral Leahy2 that he wished General Marshall’s recommendations to be carried out explicitly and promptly.”

In view of this message, last part of 86700,3 and Acheson’s 86701,4 please advise me of present status of this matter and if any further action is required here at this time.5

  1. Supra.↩
  2. Adm. William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief.↩
  3. Telegram of November 30, not printed.↩
  4. Telegram of November 30, p. 886.↩
  5. In telegram No. 1858 of December 8 to Colonel Carter, General Marshall stated: “I will soon confer with Admiral Cooke regarding further reduction of Marines. No action is required of you at this time.”↩