893.76/6–249: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 2—8:35 a. m.]
1172. We asked British Embassy this morning present status Commie efforts establish radio communication between Tientsin and Hong Kong (see Tientsin’s 321, May 19 [16] to Department, repeated Nanking 202, Shanghai 224, Peiping 140, Hong Kong unnumbered). British admitted rather shamefacedly that communications were now open between Hong Kong and Tientsin and that no concessions had been extracted therefor. As result of Commie approach British Consul General [at] Tientsin, local British Embassy recommended to its Foreign Office this occasion be used to ameliorate conditions foreign consuls Tientsin, particularly privilege confidential communications. Subsequently British Embassy began receiving reports of re-establishment of wireless communication between Tientsin and Hong Kong and on [Page 1087] inquiry of governor Hong Kong were informed Cable and Wireless Ltd. had gone ahead without consulting governor and on instruction from home office London to reestablish radio contact with Tientsin on basis Commie request. British Embassy here then promptly queried Foreign Office who admitted somewhat apologetically that official approval had been given without sufficient consideration of all aspects and that now it appeared too late to revoke agreement. Local British Embassy agreed that once communications established they should be permitted to continue, though deploring lost opportunity to extract concessions from Commies, particularly for our Consulates in north.
It may be of interest to ascertain what arrangements C and W has made for payment and how Tientsin hookup fits into international telegraphic arrangements. Hong Kong might try sending coded message to Tientsin via this channel as experiment. If accepted and delivered, might be useful channel for Department to communicate with Tientsin in code, one way traffic. It is assumed Tientsin can use such outgoing facilities for clear language messages at least. We agree with last paragraph Tientsin’s telegram under reference and suggest Department may wish to raise with British in energetic manner this additional break of common front as one more evidence of Commies extracting advantages piecemeal from west without giving anything in return.
Sent Department 1172, Peiping 189, Hong Kong 30. Department pass Tientsin 36.