Office of the Historian

893.00/7–344: Telegram

The Officer in Charge at New Delhi (Merrell) to the Secretary of State

New Delhi, July 3, 1944—3 p.m.
[Received July 3—1:15 p.m.]

485. Following from John Davies:12

“The Department has presumably been informed by the Embassy at Chungking that in response to representations from the Vice President, the Generalissimo has given permission for an observers group [Page 113] from General Stilwell’s command to visit Chinese Communist territory.13 I expect that two of the four Foreign Service officers detailed to General Stilwell will go in the first group: Service14 concentrating on Yenan and Ludden15 concentrating on 18th Group HQ. After exploring Delhi and Chungking sources on internal political developments in Japan, Emmerson16 expects to join observers group to tap Communist sources on same subject.

Information collected by these three officers will, of course, be given to Embassy and Department. While in North China these officers will naturally undertake possible special assignments which Embassy or Department may request directly or through Army.

Now comes the catch. Deputy Chief-of-Staff, Chungking, radios me urgently requesting replacement for Service at Chungking stipulating replacement should have Service’s qualifications else he would be burden rather than help. Only candidates coming to mind are Penfield17 or Sprouse,18 Penfield, preferably, because of previous experience with Army.

With Ringwalt presumably quitting Kweilin, can he free Penfield or Sprouse for detail same basis as Service? Later Service and Penfield or Sprouse can rotate Yenan, Chungking to mutual advantage of Embassy and Army. Reluctant as Ambassador may be to see another Foreign Service officer detailed to the Army I think he will agree that for some time to come the only way the Department can get its political observers into the growingly important Communist area is by detailing them to the Army.

Sent to Department, repeated to Embassy.”

Merrell
  1. John Paton Davies, Jr., Second Secretary of Embassy in China, on detail to General Stilwell.↩
  2. See memorandum of June 23 by the Second Secretary of Embassy in China, p. 460.↩
  3. John Stewart Service, Second Secretary of Embassy in China.↩
  4. Raymond P. Ludden, Second Secretary of Embassy in China.↩
  5. John K. Emmerson, Second Secretary of Embassy in China.↩
  6. James K. Penfield, Second Secretary of Embassy in China.↩
  7. Philip D. Sprouse, Third Secretary of Embassy in China.↩