893.00/6–2047: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 20—4:45 a.m.]
1349. Following is Shanghai’s 1008, of June 18, 4 p.m. to Embassy:
“UP despatch datelined Moscow 17 reports Pravada’s publication on that date of despatch from its Shanghai correspondent [that] reports ‘circulating’ here that Consul Paxton ‘was connected with organization of June 5 Mongolian frontier incident’ and that Paxton was acting under orders General Eisenhower33 as ‘substantiated by a report of a representative of State Department’ at Shanghai.
“Have no knowledge on [of] any member of our staff making statements regarding incident or any related matter which could conceivably have been construed as basis for allegation. Am canvassing staff with view to discovering if any basis exists for attributing such statement to us and will report developments if any.”
Actually text of Tass story stated that State Department Shanghai employee had said American Consul, Tihwa, reports coincided with recent news version, from which coincidence it was speculated that the Consul had been implicated in the incident. Tass story then went on to add its own details without giving the source.
[Page 565]Embassy inclined to believe that Tass in putting out this foolish story was merely using the same tactics adopted by Chinese press for which accuracy is no desideratum.
Sent Department 1349, Department please repeat to Moscow.
- General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chief of Staff, United States Army.↩