893.01/12–248: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cabot) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 2—8:24 a.m.]
2610. British Ambassador7 has informed me of substance of conversation between Mayor Wu and Keswick (mytel 2566, Nov. 29). Wu told Keswick he wanted a foreign committee established to run Shanghai interregnum and to turn over Shanghai in orderly fashion to Communists. He suggested Keswick head this committee and expressed hope British would participate in sending international forces to guarantee order while foreign committee functioned. Ambassador said he informed Keswick he was strongly opposed to foreign committee administering Shanghai and hoped Chinese would form their own committee for this purpose. He said he was opposed to Keswick heading committee and to landing of British troops to preserve order. He informed Keswick however that he would be very happy to cooperate in international action backing up Chinese committee in every proper way. I informed Ambassador of my conversation with Wu and my answer to the slightly different proposals he made to me.
Ambassador wished us to go together to see Wu in order to get more precise information re Wu’s ideas. I said I was not in position to do so since I was awaiting Department’s instructions. I believe Ambassador is speaking to Wu himself alone.
Sent Department 2610, repeated Nanking 1971.
- Sir Ralph Stevenson.↩