893.01/10–2149: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (McConaughy) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 21—9:41 a. m.]
4466. Over-all impression I gained from casual conversations with several Nanking diplomats who came to Shanghai to embark on British evacuation ships Shengking and Wing Sang October 18 was that they are rather impatient for early recognition Communist regime and are generally disposed to recommend unreservedly to their Government that recognition be accorded in the not distant future.
I was impressed by fact that some of the diplomats seemed to consider de facto control of preponderance of area and population of China to be sole determining factor in deciding recognition issue with little weight accorded to other factors to which we attach importance such as ability and willingness of regime to carry out international obligations, its independence of foreign domination and extent and degree of support of Chinese people enjoyed by regime. It was disturbing to note their casual and even cavalier attitude toward indignities we have suffered at hands of Communists, particularly detention of our consular staff at Mukden. It hardly seemed to occur to some of foreign diplomats that such outrages when continued without rectification might serve as deterrent to recognition. One of them re-marked jocosely that ConGen Ward was Sinophile and Sinologue and probably was able to carry on enough enjoyable researches very con genial to him during his detention.
While cogent case could be made for recognition on terms providing some reasonable degree assurance Communist respect for our more fundamental interests, there was little evidence that Nanking foreign diplomats were approaching recognition question in other than happy-go-lucky manner, with little thought as to what their countries might be “getting into” or the importance of determining and holding out for minimum sine qua non conditions for recognition.
Desire make clear that above represent an impression of general frame of mind gained from informal bandying “cocktail” conversation with frequently changing groups rather than summary of statement definitely identifiable as considered views of specific individuals.