393.1115/10–2848
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth) to the Acting Secretary of State
Apropos of General Marshall’s telegram to you no. Martel 86, October 26, and the various telegrams we have had from Nanking, Tientsin and Peiping regarding the evacuation of American citizens, I called up Mr. Blum of Mr. Forrestal’s30 office and asked him whether he could arrange for an evaluation of the military situation in the Tientsin–Peiping area in the light of this problem. I pointed out that the British were issuing a warning and that the French are expected to follow suit shortly. The most recent word from our Embassy indicates it was, on the advice of “our military advisers”, planning to withhold warning for the time being.
[Page 867]I mentioned that we had a plethora of military advisers in China and they speak with more than one voice; that this was not necessarily a bad thing provided somebody brought them into harmony here. He agreed to see what he could do and let us have an informal estimate of the situation.
- James Forrestal, Secretary of Defense.↩