125.633/6–749: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 7—10:15 a. m.]
1231. Reference Peiping’s 914, June 1 [May 31] to Department, repeated Canton 137, Shanghai 610. Suggest Department may wish to instruct Consul General [at] Peiping to request Headquarters PLA to authorize Consul General to send to Ward by regular commercial facilities text of Deptel 299, May 17 to Peiping regarding closing of Mukden Consulate General.
Since things move slowly in China, we have not yet abandoned all optimism that we will be able to reach reasonable solution with Communists regarding Mukden impasse. If action suggested above and in Deptel 351, June 3 to Peiping, repeated Nanking 669, proves unfruitful, suggest Department may then wish to instruct Clubb to [Page 962] follow it up shortly by appropriate communication to Chou En-lai and/or Mao Tse-tung.
However, if by June 19 (1 month after Clubb sent his first communication) Communists still maintain their wall of silence, it would then be time, we believe, for top level Department spokesman to make strong detailed statement regarding Communist treatment of our Mukden Consul General with implications possible Soviet instigation, immediately thereafter giving subject fullest play on VOA65 and USIS66 Unless factors relating to recognition of Chinese Communists make it unwise, Department may also wish to have spokesman indicate that Department is giving consideration to raising matter in Security Council.
Repeated Canton 509, Shanghai 662, Peiping 206.