Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram
General Marshall to Colonel Marshall S. Carter
1857. Your 8699283 ref. Please arrange for deferment of the executive order based on Public Law 512. The issue of the order at this time would touch off a press barrage in China detrimental to my final efforts, particularly since the majority of the ships of all classes and the bulk of the combatant ships have not yet been transferred.
Deferment of the order will not impede present naval transfer plans. The turnover of ships covered by existing lend-lease agreement will not be completed before late February 1947.
Our plans have always visualized that the transfer of ships under PL 512 would be on a gift basis, but provided that a companion agreement was reached covering the turn over of certain alien property administration holdings to the US Government. Issue of the executive order at this time would be premature since this companion agreement has not yet been finalized.
- Supra. ↩