Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, China, Volume III

115. Telegram From the Secretary of State to Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson, at Geneva¹

Washington, December 7, 1955—3:39 p.m.

1355. Your 1260.²

1. Department did not intend that you place primary emphasis on “welfare” aspect Agreed Announcement. You should continue as in past placing primary emphasis on Communist failure release Americans expeditiously using Bradshaw case as glaring example not only failure release, but refusal to transmit letters, pointing out this forces conclusion that remainder imprisoned Americans are receiving same treatment as Bradshaw.

2. Secretary believes time has come to demonstrate stirrer attitude on failure Communists live up to commitments. Three months passed since Agreed Announcement and only five of nineteen released. Wang has come to regard our weekly protests this subject as routine. Best way of convincing him we take this seriously is concentrate exclusively this subject for one meeting, basing your protest on fact you have been instructed by your Government do so.

3. Bradshaw release before or simultaneous with meeting does not change situation. This would not prove that Communists are carrying out declaration but only that in this case had done so because facts were fortuitously revealed. Bradshaw case is merely example of course of conduct by Communists which is continuing as to remainder still imprisoned. You can point out that Washington felt so strongly on this subject that your instructions were to deal exclusively with it for this meeting and that future progress on renunciation force is of necessity dependent on showing good faith in implementing Agreed Announcement already made.

4. While above tactics may not immediately assist Bradshaw, our conclusion is that from overall standpoint, bearing in mind that ninety days have now elapsed, time has come to take stronger line than heretofore.

5. It is important to show relationship between Communist performance under first Agreed Announcement and question participation by US in second one. This point should receive strong emphasis in your presentation.

Dulles

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/12–755. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. The source text lists as drafters McConaughy, Clough, Sebald, and Phleger. It was cleared in draft by Robertson and approved for transmission by Clough.
2. Johnson commented in telegram 1260 from Geneva, December 7, on the Department’s instructions for the meeting the following day. He questioned the desirability of placing so much emphasis on the “welfare” aspect of the agreed announcement rather than on the failure to release Americans “expeditiously”, and he commented that so much emphasis on the Bradshaw case would put him in a difficult position if Bradshaw were to be released by the time of the meeting and might be counterproductive if he were not. (Ibid.)