Office of the Historian

261. Memorandum From the Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State1

Washington, May 28, 1955.

Late yesterday afternoon Ambassador Mehta delivered messages to the President and yourself at the Department. I endeavored to catch you in Watertown by telephone, but you had left for the island sometime previously.

We drafted a tentative statement, to be held for release until: [Page 579]

(a)
A formal announcement was made by the Indians or the Chinese Communists; or
(b)
Actual release of the flyers had taken place;

whichever came first.2

I called the President in Gettysburg about 7:00 o’clock and, after giving him a résumé of Nehru’s messages, I read him a draft message to Nehru. He made a few minor suggestions and the wire was despatched to Cooper last night.3

The President called about Noon today and I brought him up-to-date on developments and read him a proposed press release. He made a few minor suggestions and approved the general attitude we were proposing to take. I also read the President a draft which we had prepared of a more direct message from himself to Nehru. He made a number of corrections and additions to this message and asked that we send it off immediately. This was done.4

I called Ambassador Lodge at his home in Massachusetts to advise him of developments. He felt that our proposed statement was entirely satisfactory. He believed that Mr. Hammarskjold would be “quite burnt up” at Mr. Menon for having moved into his act and taken over his role of mediator. We decided that we should not tell Mr. Hammarskjold of these developments until possibly Sunday5 evening, in view of the request that they be kept confidential which Mr. Nehru had imposed on us.6

In view of Ambassador Cooper’s latest advice to us that the airmen may be released in Hong Kong Monday morning, the Air Force has agreed to fly a C–54 from Manila to Hong Kong on [Page 580] Sunday. We also believe it is significant that the Chinese Communists have requested the American Red Cross to have its representatives present the parcels destined for prisoners in China at the Hong Kong border at 10:00 a.m., Monday morning. The plane would return with the prisoners immediately and probably proceed as far as Honolulu, where it is tentatively planned to give them a brief medical check-up and possibly also some of them would have a reunion with their families.

We have hesitated very much to bother you during your vacation, but believed you might wish to know about this matter and its implications prior to your return.

A file of the messages and some additional matters are attached hereto.7

If you wish to have a message sent to Mr. Nehru during your absence, Mr. Appling can bring it back when he comes, or if you prefer we can draft up a more general Departmental answer.8

Herb
Herbert Hoover Jr.
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.551/5–2855. Top Secret. This memorandum was apparently taken to Secretary Dulles at Duck Island by Hugh G. Appling of the Executive Secretariat. It bears a handwritten notation by Appling that it was seen by the Secretary on May 29. Dulles was at Duck Island May 27–June 2.↩
  2. Menon announced the imminent release of the fliers on May 30. An announcement in Peking a few hours later stated that the four airmen had been convicted by a military tribunal on May 24 of violating Chinese air space and had been sentenced to immediate deportation; see the New York Times, May 31, 1955. The four men were released in Hong Kong on May 31. A statement made on May 30 by a Department of State spokesman expressed gratification at the news, expressed the hope that it signified the intention of the Chinese Communist regime to act swiftly to release the other imprisoned American citizens, and stated that such action would eliminate one cause of international tension. For text, see Department of State Bulletin, June 13, 1955, p. 953.↩
  3. Telegram 1901 to New Delhi, May 27, asked Cooper to convey to Nehru the President’s gratitude for his message. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.95A241/5–2755)↩
  4. The message from the President to Prime Minister Nehru, transmitted in a letter of May 28 from Hoover to Mehta, thanked Nehru and Menon for their kind offices and expressed willingness to have Menon come to Washington for informal and private talks. (Ibid., Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, Eisenhower/Dulles Correspondence with Prime Minister Nehru)↩
  5. May 29.↩
  6. A message from Dulles to Hammarskjöld, expressing appreciation for his efforts to bring about the release of the imprisoned U.N. personnel, was transmitted in telegram 703 to New York, May 30. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.95A241/5–3055)↩
  7. A note in Hoover’s handwriting on the source text states that a copy of the proposed press release was attached. None of the attachments are filed with the source text.↩

  8. A message from Dulles to Nehru was transmitted in a letter of May 29 from Hoover to Mehta, which indicates Appling as the drafter. The substantive part reads as follows:

    “I am happy to receive your message of 27 May and to know that in your opinion the talks between Mr. Krishna Menon and Mr. Chou-En-lai indicate that it is possible to put the relations between Communist China and the U.S.A. on a basis which will be free from the threat of the use of force.

    “That is and always has been the strong hope of the U.S. We do not believe that these differences should be sought to be resolved by force.

    “I am glad that you feel that my talk with Mr. Menon in Washington last March helped in making progress.

    “I am always anxious to know of all relevant facts, and since you feel that Mr. Menon’s talks at Peiping do not easily lend themselves to report by telegram I should be happy to talk to Mr. Menon again, either at San Francisco or at Washington, as is most convenient.” (Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, Eisenhower/Dulles Correspondence with Prime Minister Nehru)

    ↩