811.20293/6–2049: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 20—5:38 a. m.]
1330. In response to AP, UP, New York Times and AFP77 requests for comment on Peiping radio June 18 broadcast re alleged American espionage net in Manchuria and involvement of ConGen Mukden, we felt compelled to make brief oral statement for attribution along following lines:
“Embassy lacks sufficient information for full comment. As is known, communications between Embassy and ConGen Mukden have been severed for about 7 months. However, Embassy believes that reference to ConGen Mukden as espionage organ is too fantastic to merit any comment.”
We also informed correspondents that perhaps fuller statement will be forthcoming in Washington.
We did not make fuller comment not only because we felt that on such important matter prior approval of Department should be obtained but also because we felt it injudicious in view our present position Nanking. However, we do believe Department should not hesitate to issue additional statement, making it as strong as possible with view to forcing Communists back into defensive position. We suggest comment along following lines:
“Department fully endorses statement issued June 19 by AmEmb Nanking that Chinese Communist allegations that ConGen Mukden served as American espionage organ are too fantastic to deserve comment. [Page 969] Department, however, notes similarity between these charges and charges which have been directed at American diplomatic missions and consular offices in other Communist-dominated countries. They are all designed to smear integrity of those establishments and to rationalize arbitrary restrictions placed upon them by Communist authorities. In particular, Department believes Chinese Communist charges against ConGen Mukden are prompted by bad conscience occasioned by uncivilized and totally unjustifiable treatment which Department has good reason to believe Chinese Communists have accorded personnel that office since last November 20.
As Department has made public in previous statements, all communications between ConGen Mukden and outside world were severed on November 18, only 16 days after Mukden was occupied by Chinese Communist forces. According to unofficial reports, it appears that staff of ConGen Mukden has essentially been under house arrest since November 20. Only since June 13 have Chinese Communists relaxed their communications blockade of ConGen Mukden to extent of permitting it to exchange with AmEmb Nanking and AmConGen Peiping a few Chinese language telegrams on purely administrative matters.
Department is pleased to note that Chinese Communists at least have finally broken their long silence re ConGen Mukden, if only by referring to it in their broadcast as ‘so-called AmCon’ and ‘former AmCon’. Department therefore permits itself to hope that Chinese Communists will finally acknowledge and take action on its note of May 19 which was delivered by AmConGen Peiping to Communist authorities in Peiping informing that ‘owing to imposition by Chinese Communists of arbitrary and unreasonable restrictions on ConGen Mukden, US Government is withdrawing its staff and closing its office in that city.’ In connection with this withdrawal, Department expects that Communist authorities will now facilitate prompt departure of staff of ConGen Mukden by according it full courtesies customarily enjoyed under international law and comity by foreign government officials.”
Sent Department, repeated OffEmb Canton 564, Shanghai 724, Peiping 226.
- Agence France Presse.↩