Goodbye

From Nanking, TIME Correspondent Fred Gruin reported:

Although he had a private understanding with President Truman that he would take up the portfolio of the Department of State when Byrnes put it down, General Marshall, too, was surprised at the sudden call from Washington informing him that the time had come. On Monday evening he drove to the Gimo's to break the news of his departure.

Tuesday was crowded with a schedule of packing and farewells that never quite caught up with Marshall. Ambassador Stuart and Foreign Minister Wang Shih-chieh dropped in for lunch at the general's high-walled residence on Ning Hai Road. They were still talking over their coffee when the capital's foreign correspondents arrived for a few off-record remarks and an on-record goodbye.

The correspondents were still waiting for an appointment when most of the sub-teenagers of Nanking's foreign colony straggled in. The General had invited them some time ago for afternoon movies and ice cream; he would not break this date even for affairs of state. Between meetings with the press and a long list of callers, including T. V. Soong and Chou En-lai's secretary, Chang Wen-chin, the General looked in on the moppets as they disposed of a gallon or so of vanilla. That evening he drove to the Gimo's again for family dinner.

Casual & Informal. By 7.30 a.m. Wednesday, the huge, four-motored transport 49149, with five stars on its tailfin, was warmed up and waiting at Nanking Military Airport. It was the same plane which had brought Marshall to China more than a year ago.

General Marshall himself arrived at 10 minutes before 8. On a cold concrete apron, wet with melted snow, a cluster of photographers and dignitaries were waiting. Among the latter were Ambassador Stuart, Premier T. V. Soong, Chief of Staff Chen Cheng, Communications Minister Yu Ta-wei, Foreign Minister Wang Shih-chieh, General G. Q. Huang, Communist spokesman Wang Ping-nan. It was all very casual and informal--no ropes, no visible guards; everyone intermingled.

Marshall shook hands all around, chatted a bit, thanked T.V. for his basket of Formosan shaddock and pomelo (akin to grapefruit), urged everyone not to wait in the chill damp outdoors. For a few moments he stood alone by the ramp; he seemed a trifle impatient because the Gimo and Madame were late.

They arrived five minutes after the hour. As they stepped out, one on each side of the Cadillac limousine, Marshall moved up. He greeted Madame first. "Give my love to your madame," she said, "and come back, come back soon."

Then the Gimo, his nose red in the cold, saluted and haoed. They trailed Marshall up the ramp into the plane for final words. As they emerged the Gimo almost brushed off his military cap against the hatch top; he caught it in time and came down smiling. The hatch door slammed; 49149 rolled away. As it lifted into the air, with the snow-dusted purple mountain as a backdrop, the last one to wave adieu was Ambassador Stuart.

Only he knew what the others found out in the next hour--that the great man was flying off to a greater job.

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