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Meeting with T. V. Soong

June 5, 1946, 5:30 P.M. Nanking, China

DOCTOR Soong reported that at his meeting that morning with the Generalissimo, Chiang had “insisted on a complete and definite arrangement” with the Communists within the proposed ten-day truce period. The Communists, Marshall noted, were distrustful of the government’s secret police and its refusal to remove fortifications it had built along the rail lines. Moreover, he observed, “he was extremely concerned over the fact that trivial matters in the past had blocked much needed developments in China’s economic structure. The small things seemed to mount and mount, thus overcoming any definite results toward necessary reconstruction.”

Soong pointed out various recent Communist provocations. Marshall discussed the negotiations over the press releases regarding the truce, saying that “the Communists were objecting to the 10 day time limit and he felt they were not unreasonable in their contention.” Dr. Soong admitted that each side was suspicious of the other; consequently, “it might be preferable to seek a peaceful solution by giving the Communists certain areas of China which would then be their domain.” (Foreign Relations, 1946, 9: 979-81.)

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), pp. 579-580.