#5-454
To John Carter Vincent
May 29, 1946 Radio No. GOLD 788. [Nanking, China]
Secret
Regarding your radio statement that military truce of January 10 does not apply to Manchuria,1 it does and always did in my opinion, despite Central Government implications to the contrary some time back. Misunderstanding partially arose due to the fact that no arrangement was made immediately after the agreement for truce teams to operate in Manchuria, as there was little trouble there in comparison with situation in North China, and there had been no Central Government–Communist disagreement or reluctance over negotiations, and also the presence of Russians presented a delicate problem because of American team captains. This did not mean, however, that cease fire should not be observed there in connection with the provision that Government troops were to be free to move into and within Manchuria for the purpose of establishing Chinese sovereignty.
On January 24 I addressed in writing to the Generalissimo and Chou En-lai, a recommendation that truce teams be immediately dispatched to Manchuria. Chou agreed, and later on frequently urged such action. The Generalissimo declined to approve, stating a fear that the Russians would demand equal representation along with Americans.2
Document Copy Text Source: Records of the Department of State (RG 59), Lot Files, Marshall Mission, Military Affairs, GOLD Messages, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.
Document Format: Typed radio message.
1. On May 25, the NBC radio series “Our Foreign Policy” broadcast a three-man discussion on “Our Policy in China” featuring Vincent (director of the State Department’s Office of Far Eastern Affairs) and two members of the House of Representatives: pro-Chiang Kai-shek Walter H. Judd (Republican from Minnesota) and anti-Chiang Hugh DeLacy (Democrat from Washington).
2. Vincent replied on June 7 that he had deleted the statement on Manchuria from the script the day prior to the broadcast, but this was too late to enable NBC to alter the version released to the public. (Carter to Marshall, Radio No. WAR-90515, June 7, 1946, NA/RG 59 [Lot Files, Marshall Mission, Vincent Files, Marshall and Stuart].)
Recommended Citation: ThePapers of George Catlett Marshall, ed.Larry I. Bland and Sharon Ritenour Stevens (Lexington, Va.: The George C. Marshall Foundation, 1981– ). Electronic version based on The Papers of George Catlett Marshall, vol. 5, “The Finest Soldier,” January 1, 1945–January 7, 1947 (Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003), p. 569.