Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI

123 Clubb, Oliver Edmund: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Peiping

secret
priority

Washington, March 22, 1950—7 p. m.

253. Ur 390 Feb 23.¹ Dept believes that some benefit might be derived from an informal discussion with high Commie auths of outstanding points of friction between US and Commie regime and suggests that prior ur departure you endeavor arrange informal interview with Chou En-lai or highest other Commie official accessible.

Although Dept realizes that procedure for arrangements for meeting and to considerable degree scope or nature of discussion must be left to ur discretion, fol views of Dept may be helpful to you:

It important that you avoid any inference such discussion constitutes move toward recognition or is preliminary to such move and in view recent evidences Communist hostility including seizure ECA assets Shanghai, refusal to permit Shanghai evacuation, closure Shanghai radio, and imminent closure ur radio, that proposed discussion not be construed by Communists as resulting from pressure by them or as indication US weakness. Dept believes that you might initiate discussion by calling attention ur long interest in China and ur imminent departure pursuant to instructions from ur govt adding that you desire prior ur departure discuss on a completely personal and informal basis some of points of friction in order obtain Commie views and make known US views as you understand them. Dept believes you might then proceed to discuss such matters as Commie refusal to permit departure Amers from China including Amer officials, business men particularly in Shanghai, and Smith and Bender, emphasizing inability US public understand these measures and importance which such measures have in determining attitude of US public and hence of US Govt toward Commie regime; seizure of Peiping consular properties; attitude Commie auths toward US business and industrial organizations; attitude toward US officials as reflected in Ward case² and other incidents; and similar matters with which you familiar. In discussing these or other points you shld endeavor not only make known US views with which you believed familiar but also ascertain Commie views and if opportunity presents itself general Commie attitude toward western democracies, particularly US. In outlining US views you may find it helpful to draw on Pres’s Jan 5 statement, Secy’s Jan 12 speech to Natl Press Club and Secy’s recent speech to Commonwealth Club in San Francisco,³ all of which transmitted to you in Radio Bulletin.⁴

Acheson

1. Not printed. It reported Mr. Clubb’s view that any United States démarche toward the Communist authorities with the idea of improving Sino-American relations might well be delayed for another fortnight, until shortly before the Peiping Consulate General was scheduled to close. In the interim, the return from Moscow of Mao and Chou might occasion a feeler from the Chinese side. Concerning restitution for the requisitioned consular properties, Mr. Clubb was not hopeful, but thought another United States approach might be useful for the record. (122.93/2–2350)
2. Documentation on the detention of Consul General Angus Ward and the staff of the Consulate General at Mukden by the Communist authorities is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1949, volume viii .
3. See the editorial note under date of February 14, p. 311.
4. For Mr. Clubb’s responses to this telegram, see the annexes to the memoranda from Mr. Rusk to Secretary Acheson, dated April 14 and 17, pp. 327, 329.