Office of the Historian

278. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, August 21, 19571

Washington, August 21, 1957

Re Red China—about a week ago he [the President] saw Mrs. Downey2 and repeated to her what we have said on making the release of prisoners a condition precedent for sending in newsmen. Now we say we stick to principle but violate it a little bit. The Sec said we are saying in the statement perhaps they will get info re the prisoners. The Sec said he did not realize the Pres was so committed and told of his talk with Hagerty yesterday.3 The Pres said no one has suggested we would change that policy. The Pres explained he does not mean to say we should not but if we do he would like some way to talk about it. The Sec said to say the matter is being actively studied and the Sec will talk it over with the Pres today. Nothing public has been done except some weeks ago to find out the factual situation re the people wanting to go we sent out a questionnaire and 24 want to go. Yesterday a cable4 went out to give advance notice to our friends but that is not public.

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Prepared by Phyllis D. Bernau.↩
  2. The mother of John Downey, one of the six remaining American prisoners being held in the People’s Republic of China.↩

  3. A transcription of the August 20 telephone conversation between Dulles and White House Press Secretary James Hagerty, also prepared by Phyllis Bernau, reads as follows:

    “Re American correspondents to Red China—the Sec is prepared to move. H said Berding spoke to him. The Sec mentioned trying to get the Pres to clear it finally with him—H said he did not think it necessary. The Sec said we would like to send word to our friends in the FE 24 hours in advance though we would not do it until Thursday.” (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations)

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  4. Circular telegram 152, August 20, was sent to London, Rangoon, Djakarta, Tokyo, Seoul, Manila, Taipei, Bangkok, Saigon, New Delhi, Karachi, Wellington, Canberra, Singapore, and Hong Kong to give advance notification of the press release summarized in the editorial note, infra. (Department of State, Central Files, 911.6293/8–2057)↩