Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "205716148",
    "label": "Memorandum from Secretary of State James Byrnes to Matthew Connelly, with Attached Memorandum from James Shepley to President Harry S. Truman",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716148"
}

{
    "id": "205716148",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716148",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum from Secretary of State James Byrnes to Matthew Connelly, with Attached Memorandum from James Shepley to President Harry S. Truman",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716148",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-11-01.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-11-01.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-11-01.jpg",
    "imageCount": 6,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/205716148",
    "naId": 205716148,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "logicalDate": "1946-01-01",
            "year": 1946
        }
    ],
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750236/750236-11-02.jpg",
    "mediaId": "3145328a867a9a5e",
    "ocrText": "DECLASSIFIED\nE. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E)\nDept. of State letter, Aug. 9, 1973\nBy NLT-\nHC NARS Date 6.24.75\n28 February 1946\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:\nIn accordance with your instructions I have prepared the following\nwritten report on General Marshall's negotiations in China.\nWhen General Marshall arrived in China to carry out your directive\nit was necessary for him to make an exact estimate of an extremely complex\nmilitary and political situation. It was essential that he accurately gauge:\n1. The military capabilities of the opposing armies of the\nNational Government and of the Communist Party.\n2. The degree of willingness of the controlling leaders of\nthe Communist and Kuomintang (Government) Parties to resolve their dif-\nferences by political means and end the civil war then in progress.\n3. The effect of your statement of American policy with re-\ngard to China.\n4. The Soviet objectives with regard to China and the rela-\ntionship between the Chinese Communist Party and the U.S.S.R.\nImmediately upon his arrival in China on December 20, General Mar-\nshall conferred with General Wedemeyer and the Chiefs of all his Staff sec-\ntions. He then proceeded to Nanking where he met the Generalissimo and had\nhis first official discussions with him, at the Generalissimo's request, the\nnight of his arrival.\nFrom Nanking General Marshall went to Chungking where for 10 days\nhe made himself available to all who desired to see him. In this period he\nheard representatives of all major factions in the country.\nGeneral Marshall's initial estimates of the unknown factors stated\nabove (which throughout his mission have remained largely unchanged) were:\n1. That neither the National nor the Communist Armies had\nthe capability to bring about a military decision with their own re-\nsources, and accordingly, without the intervention of foreign powers,\na stalemate was likely to result and produce a China divided between\nat least two independent governments and possibly three.\n: ARCHIVES **NATIONAL SERVICE\" RECORDS AMD\nSTURIST"
}