Office of the Historian

52. Telegram From Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson to the Department of State1

Geneva, September 10, 1955—5 p.m.

708. At today’s meeting2 Wang struggled hard to retain “now” in US section trying various combinations and at one time even suggesting both “now” and “in any such case” be retained US section while both deleted from ChiCom section.

Also tried hard to insert “the problem of” or “the question of” before “Chinese” in introductory paragraph US section same change mutatis mutandis in ChiCom section so it would read “with respect to the problem of Chinese in US Ambassador Johnson etc” Finally compromised by leaving agreed English text as is Chinese text to contain phrase this effect. Ekvall and Clough feel he had valid Chinese stylistic point.

At very end meeting said names of additional Americans released in future would be notified to US through UK. I then replied I hoped in accordance with announcement other cases would be expeditiously handled and settled that during course of talks here he would inform me as well as UK of names those released and said I would be prepared report to him on our implementation statement. He carefully ignored all reference to making any report here simply [Page 85] reiterating UK Chargé would be notified. Neither of us attempted further to pursue subject.

Next meeting September 14.

[Johnson]
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/9–1055. Confidential; Priority.↩
  2. Johnson reported in telegram 703 from Geneva, September 10, that the agreed announcement, with the word “now” deleted from the first paragraph of each section, would be released at 5 p.m. Geneva time. He reported in telegram 705 of the same date from Geneva that Wang had given him the names of three imprisoned Americans who were “being granted early release” and seven Americans, in prison or under house arrest, who were to be deported. (Ibid.) The text of a statement which Johnson released to the press that day, with the names of the 10 Americans who were to be released and sent to Hong Kong within a few days, is printed in Department of State Bulletin, September 19, 1955.↩