611.95A241/12–2054: Telegram
No. 454
The Chargé in the United Kingdom
(Butterworth) to the Department of State
2817. Noforn. While in Paris Eden received long analytical letter from Hammarskjold outlining in detail reasoning behind his decision offer go to Peiping on behalf US airmen. He felt he had to “crash the gate” in order overcome initial and obvious reaction of ChiComs who could be expected refuse a UN approach on this issue. He also had to take into account American opinion and he therefore could not start with a too modest approach. For various reasons he could not invite a third power, such as Sweden, Switzerland or India, to act as intermediary. There remained only action by UNSYG. Transmission of UN resolution would only have clouded issue. Exchange of views by telegraph would have been unproductive. Suggestion for interchange of views between representatives of ChiComs and UN would have met with rebuff. Finally only emissary acceptable to both ChiComs and US would be Hammarskjold himself and suggestion would have to be couched in form making it impossible for ChiComs to refuse. If contact established, he proposed try to find method divorced from limelight and unlikely produce “new sensation”; it would have to be in such form as not to commit either Peiping or Washington. He ended by saying that if anything came of his feeler he would travel to Peiping via London and New Delhi.
FonOff is preparing for Hammarskjold a list of missing UN POWs of British nationality but believes it inappropriate to ask him intervene on behalf of British nationals in China without UN connection. FonOff professes to be without information that Hammarskjold has received any private encouragement from ChiComs, although it does not rule out possibility he may have received some sort of clue from his nephew who is with Swedish Mission in Peiping.