124.931/7–2349: Airgram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 10—5:10 p. m.]
A–89. Reference Department’s telegram 634, May 24, to Nanking. Several weeks ago Huang Hua telephoned Philip Fugh and asked latter to call on him urgently. When Fugh arrived, he found General [Page 799] Liu Po-cheng, Director Nanking Military Control Council and Mayor. Fugh, who had never met General Liu before, had impression their meeting in Huang’s office was not pure coincidence. After exchange of the usual amenities, General Liu said he understood Dr. Stuart’s privacy had been violated by Communist soldiers in early days of Nanking “liberation”. When Fugh confirmed this, General Liu continued that he had been most sorry to hear of this unfortunate incident, that he had regretted it exceedingly, and that the officer and soldiers responsible had been returned to Peiping for further indoctrination. (We understand that “to be returned North for further indoctrination” is roughly equivalent to our military being returned to base for corrective instruction and, as such, a form of degradation.) The remainder of the conversation was of general and insignificant import, and we suspect that General Liu created this occasion to express in an indirect way his regret for the incident involving the violation of the Ambassador’s premises.