Evening star., 1947-01-07
Text of Marshall Statement

foXT OF MARSH
The tert of a personal state
naent" by Gen. George C. Mar
shall ON the situation in China
tolloUs::
The President has recently given
summary of the developments in
China during the past year and the
position of the American Govern
ment toward China. Circumstances
now dictate that ! should supple
ment this with impressions gained
at first hand
In this intricate and confused
situation I shall merely endeavor to
touch on some Of the more impor-
tant considerations-as they appear
to me-during my connection with
the negotiations to bring about
peace in China and stable demo-
cratic form of government.
In the first place the greatest OBJ
stacle to peace has been the COM
Iplete, almost overwhelming suspicion
with which the Chinese Communist
Party and Kuomintang regard each
other.
Leaders Strongly at Odds.
On the one hand the leaders of
the government are strongly op-
posed to a Communistic form of
government On the other the
Communists frankly state that they
are Marxists and intend to work
toward establishing a Communistic
form of government in China,
though first advancing through the
medium Of a democratic form OF
government of the American or
British type.
The leaders of the government
are convinced in their minds that
the Communist-expressed desire to
participate in a government of the
type indorsed by the political con-
sultative conference last January
had for its purpose only a destruc-
tive intention.
The Communists felt, I believe, |
that the government was insincere
in its apparent acceptance of the
PCC political Consultative CounciD |
resolutions for the formation of the
new government and intended by
coercion of military force and the
action of secret police to obliterate |
the Communist Party.
Combined with this mutual deep
distrust was the conspicuous error
by both parties of ignoring the effect
Of the fears and suspicious of the !
other party in estimating the reason
for proposals or opposition regard
ing the settlement of various matters
under negotiation. They each sought
only to take counsel of their own
fears They both, therefore, to that
extent, took a rather lopsided view
of each situation and were sus-
ceptible to every evil suggestion or
possibility.
Fighting Complicated Issue.
This complication was exaggerated
to an explosive degree by the con-
fused reports of fighting on the
distant and tremendous fronts of
hostile military contact. Patrol
clashes were deliberately magnified
lllOO &c O1lC1lo1fC
The distortion of the facts was
utilized by both sides to heap con-
demnation on the other. It was only
through the reports of American
officers in the field teams from
executive headquarters that I could
get even a partial idea of what was
actually happening and the Incl
dents were too numerous and the
distances too great for the American
personnel to cover all of the ground.
I must comment here on the
superb courage of the officers OF
our Army and Marines in struggling
against almost inSurmountable and
maddening obstacles to bring some
measure of peace to China.
Lists Most Important Factors.
I think the most important factors
involved in the recent breakdown of
negotiations are these:
On the side of the national gov
ernment, which is in effect the
Kuomintang Party, there is DOM
inant group of reactionaries who
have been opposed, in my opinion, to
almost every effort I have made to
influence the formation of genuine
coalition government. This has
usually been under the cover of
political or party action, but since
the party was the government, this
action, though subtle or indirect, has
been devastating in its effect. They
were quite frank in publicly stating
their belief that cooperation by the
Chinese Communist Party in the
government was inconceivable and
that only a policy of force could
definitely settle the issue. This
group includes military as well as
political leaders.
On the side of the Chinese Com
munist Party there are, I believe,
liberals as well as radicals, though
this view is vigorously opposed by
many who believe that the Chinese
Communist Party discipline is too
rigidly enforced to admit Of such
differences of viewpoint. Neverthe-
less, it has appeared to me that
there is definite liberal group
among the Communists, especially
OF young men who have turned toI
the Communists in disgust at. the
corruption evident in the local gov
ernments-men who would put the
interest of the Chinese people above
ruthless measures to establish a
Communist theology in the imme-
diate future.
The dyed-in-the-wool Communists
do not hesitate at the most drastic