893.00/7–2749
The Secretary of Defense (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: In connection with my letter of July 21, 1949, and the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff which were enclosed on the subject of the “China White Paper”, I have just received a memorandum from the United States Communications Intelligence Board which states that the Board is of the opinion that publication of the draft of the “China White Paper” which was reviewed by the Board will not compromise the cryptographic security of the United States. Information has also been received from the Departments of Army and Navy of the declassification of relevant documents under their cognizance. The recommendation contained in the memorandum of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and my letter with respect to the protection of security of documents has therefore been satisfied.
With respect to the other points we raised with you concerning the advisability of publishing the Paper, I still believe that you should most carefully consider whether or not publication of the “China White Paper” at this time will do more harm than good.
Sincerely yours,