123 Merchant, Livingston T.: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China ( Stuart )
211. For Merchant.75 Dept wishes you to assume special responsibility with respect to Taiwan. Wording in first sentence of immediately [Page 288] following tel76 is occasioned by accounting regulations. Dept desires you retain title of Counselor of Emb and indicate that you are merely going to Taiwan to oversee expanded US representation on that island which milit events on mainland have occasioned and in particular with respect to ECA. Implication that you have been transferred Taipei should be avoided. Accordingly you should feel free to visit Nanking and Shanghai but should not find yourself immobilized on mainland should Nanking or Shanghai pass into hands of Commies.