Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram

General Marshall to Mr. Walter S. Robertson, at Peiping

1303. Just completed lengthy conference with Chou En Lai regarding An-ping incident. Gave him essential portions of your description of procedure in 6768.30 He stated he had no report of events in Peiping since Saturday morning and therefore was dependent on press and my information. His points were that procedure must be agreed upon in advance and that he thought original Communist proposal was not inconsistent with situation. Also, that he thought rotation of chairmanship was a fair procedure. His information had led him to believe that opportunity for Communist witnesses was not being accorded, which I disabused, and that to initiate investigation with American eye witnesses was calculated to prejudice issue at the start and would result in immediate propaganda.

I was dealing with him on a very sharp basis with a stated view to issuing a public statement. Yet most confidentially I don’t quite see why our man took so firm a stand on interviewing certain witnesses first if he could get Communists committed to procedure by accepting their proposal. Also, it was not made clear to me that our man proposed at the start a complete program of procedure. Also, it seems to me that we prejudice our standing in the matter by maintaining our man as chairman throughout. Let me hear further from you without delay.

  1. August 11, p. 3.