Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East: China, Volume X

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270

Notes on Meeting Between General Marshall and Dr. Stuart at the American Embassy, Nanking, October 29, 1946, 10:45 a.m.

Nanking, October 29, 1946, 10:45 a.m.

Also present:

Colonel Hutchin

Doctor Stuart reported that the Third Party Group had sent the following proposals to the Generalissimo:

“Third Group Proposals

Peace is the consistent objective of the Central Government, and the cessation of hostilities has steadily been its hope. We are all moved by the sufferings of the people and realize that a speedy solution should be found. We have therefore proposed three points in the hope that both sides may reach an understanding and very promptly stop the fighting.

1. Both sides at once issue a cease firing order, the troops to remain in their present positions. The procedure for ceasing hostilities and restoring communications will be effected by the Three Man Committee through Executive Headquarters and its field teams. The troops of both sides are to be reorganized according to the previous agreements. Their allocation is to be dealt with by the Three Man Committee. (The location of Communist troops in Manchuria should be determined in advance in Tsitsihar, Peian, Chiang Mu-ssu).

2. Local administration throughout the nation should be arranged by the reorganized State Council according to the PCC and Peaceful Reconstruction resolutions. Wherever there is dispute the military and civil issues should be separately dealt with without delay. But along the Changchun Railway, except for hsien already occupied by the Government, the Government should dispatch railway police to take over.

3. According to the resolutions of the PCC and the adopted procedure, the Steering Committee should be convened in order to plan the reorganization of the Government, in which case all parties will join the Government and discuss the question of calling the National Assembly, thus making it possible for all to take part in its meetings. At the same time the Constitutional Draft Committee should be convened in order to complete its revision.

(Signed) Mo Te-hui
Carson Chang
Li Huang
Huang Yen-pei
Miao Chia-ming
Tso Shun-sheng
Liang Shu-min
Yu Chia-chu
Chang Po-chun
Chen Chi-t’ien
Lo Lung-chi
Hsu Fu-liu[”]

Doctor Stuart said that the Generalissimo feels he is unable to accept this program. He has sent for the Third Party delegates to come to his house at 11:00 o’clock this morning where he will tell the Third Party Group that they should have taken his own eight-point statement of 16 September [October] as a basis. The Generalissimo wanted Doctor Stuart to ask Hu Lin and Carson Chang to have a further conference on this matter.

General Marshall then read to Doctor Stuart the principal portions of the minutes of his meeting with Chou En Lai on 26 October. General Chou had come to see General Marshall upon the urging of the Third Party Group. His continuous reference to his membership on the Committee of Three and General Marshall’s membership on the Committee of Three was not clear at the time of the meeting, but later consideration introduced the thought that this was possibly Chou En Lai’s left handed way of putting General Marshall back into the position of mediator.

General Marshall then read extracts of the notes on his two meetings with Lo Lung Chi, [at] one of which Carson Chang was present. General Marshall emphasized to the Third Party delegates the importance of avoiding being submerged in a mass of petty detail, and concentrating on fundamental issues. He suggested that they concentrate on the local government problem in Manchuria and upon the Kalgan-Harbin issue. These two points could be made the basis of an agreement.

However the Third Party delegates brought up repeatedly the apparent importance of the reorganization of the Executive Yuan. General Marshall explained first that the Generalissimo probably would not accept at this time any proposition for the reorganization of the Executive Yuan, and second, that the time remaining between now and the convening of the National Assembly would not permit of such reorganization. He related the Communist point of view was to demand this reorganization prior to the designation of their delegates to the National Assembly. General Marshall also explained that any indefinite delay in the business of the National Assembly would probably prove fatal. Fighting would probably start up again and it was getting increasingly difficult for the Executive Headquarters and its field teams to control this fighting with any degree of effectiveness, largely because of the vituperative propaganda presently being put out by Communist news agencies and its effect on the rank and file of the Communist troops.

General Marshall then described his meeting of last evening with the Generalissimo. He had told the Generalissimo what he and Doctor Stuart had been doing, that they had seen Chou En Lai. He recited recent events, events which were encouraging as well as events which were discouraging, and then expanded upon the present efforts of the Third Party and how the Third Party felt very discouraged, wanting to drop everything and go back to Shanghai.

General Marshall had tried to reestablish some courage in the Third Party members and to prevail upon them not to go back to Shanghai. However, he told the Generalissimo, the present Government military campaigns had about ruined any prospects of an agreement.

The Generalissimo asked General Marshall what his opinion was as to the position and intentions of the Communists. General Marshall told the Generalissimo that practically nothing the Government would say, the Communists would believe. They are convinced that the Government [intention] is to annihilate the Communist forces and to destroy the Communist Party. They point to the recent campaign against Antung, for which the Government has offered some excuse, and the campaign now in progress against Chefoo, for which the Government has offered no excuse. These military campaigns, coupled with the Generalissimo’s absence from town, served to destroy in the minds of the Communists any prospect for reaching an agreement.

General Marshall also told the Generalissimo that the Communists have no idea of surrender. They do want a complete cessation of hostilities but they don’t know how to go about getting it now. The Communists have lost cities and towns but they have not lost their armies. It is probable that the Communists will not lose their armies as they have no intention of making a stand or a fight to the finish at any place. The Communists are turning their attention to weak points and striking where they can. No doubt the Generalissimo could take Harbin, but then the Government would be in for endless tribulation.

Added to this distrust of motives of the Generalissimo and the Kuomintang Party leaders, the Communists now feel they are unable to trust even an American. The Generalissimo did say that the time had come to stop the fighting but had asked General Marshall not to say anything about this to the Third Party delegates.

General Marshall told Doctor Stuart he then explained to the Generalissimo that the Third Party Group appeared to be the only hope in the situation. He urged the Generalissimo to show every consideration to Third Party leaders and to build up their prestige by making some concessions and encouraging the delegates to conferences with him and to speak frankly. He then asked the Generalissimo to meet with the Third Party delegates the next morning, that would be this morning (29 Oct), and to listen to all their proposals or views. The Generalissimo said that he would and told General Marshall that he had invited his own leaders in for dinner that evening (28 Oct).

General Marshall then told Doctor Stuart that he had been informed this morning that Tu Li Ming²⁶ is deploying his forces for an attack on Harbin which is expected to be launched about 15 November.

26. Chinese commander in Manchuria.