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

199. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Sebald)¹

Washington, August 6, 1956.

Mr. Cyrus Sulzberger of the New York Times informed me today that he and Messrs. Lieberman and Durdin² had all received telegrams yesterday afternoon direct from the Peiping Government inviting them to visit Red China.³ He inquired what the Department’s “real” attitude is on the question of American correspondents visiting Red China. I told Mr. Sulzberger that as far as I knew there is no difference between the official prohibition against any American citizen travelling to Red China and the sentiment in the Administration. Mr. Sulzberger pointed out that undoubtedly of the fifteen who apparently have been invited by Peiping, there will be one or more who may accept regardless of passport restrictions. If they did what would the Department’s attitude and action be? I said I believed that the holder of the passport who would violate the regulations governing it might subject himself to the loss of his passport but that this undoubtedly would have to be decided when the case arose. He said that obviously the problem of what to do placed a newspaperman in a difficult position because there is undoubtedly a most interesting story to be obtained. He said he was particularly eager to visit Ulan, Bator, and Lhasa, and other points in western China.

I told Mr. Sulzberger that a great many correspondents, including members of the staff of the New York Times, for months past had been eager to undertake such an assignment. He pointed out that now, however, Peiping had actually issued an invitation to do so.

Mr. Sulzberger also said he had visited President Eisenhower this morning and had raised the question. He indicated that the President had not given any firm indication of what Mr. Sulzberger should do.⁴

I also said that as the New York Times is one of the most prominent and reputable American newspapers and as the name of Sulzberger is closely associated with it, violation of the publicized policy of this Government in his case would be doubly noticeable.

There is no doubt that the present Chinese invitation will be most tempting to the correspondents invited and we can expect that one way or another some will try to take advantage of it. I think that immediate study should be given to this question so that there will be no doubt about the Department’s attitude when questions are raised.⁵ Undoubtedly Mr. Line White will have to meet questions about this immediately and I suppose the Secretary will be queried by the press at the first opportunity.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 911.6293/8–656. Confidential.
2. Henry R. Lieberman and Tillman Durdin of the New York Times.
3. Invitations were extended to representatives of the New York Times, the New York Herald Tribune, the Christian Monitor, U.S. News & World Report, Business Week, Nation, Associated Press, United Press, National Broadcasting Company, Columbia Broadcasting System, and International News Service.
4. See the memorandum infra for the President’s reaction. Sulzberger also called Dulles on August 6 to ask for visas in order to accept the Chinese invitation. Dulles returned the call on August 7 and explained that the existing restrictions on travel to China would have to continue to apply. (The notes taken on these telephone conversations are in Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations.)
5. Telegram 388 to Hong Kong, August 6, contained the following instruction for consular officials: “Department’s position disapproving travel Americans Communist China unchanged. There is no intention reexamine this policy so long as Americans remain imprisoned Communist China”. (Department of State, Central Files, 911.6293/8–856)