159. Letter 11 from McConaughy to Johnson1
Again there is a great rush on with just a few minutes to get this note to you in the pouch. The momentous telegram authorizing you to button up the Agreed Announcement at the next meeting on Tuesday the 6th is just going out. The Secretary personally reviewed, amended and approved this telegram before he left yesterday afternoon for a two week vacation at Duck Island. As this request I flew to Richmond yesterday afternoon to get WSR’s approval. I had an hour and a half with him in Richmond. He readily gave his clearance.
[Typeset Page 207]You will be interested to know that when WSR read the latest text of the Agreed Announcement “cold”, without having any of the recent background, he was amazed at what you had accomplished. He felt that we had just about written our own ticket so far as the phraseology went. The wording could hardly be better from our standpoint. He felt that we did not need to worry too much about fixing an express time limit in terms of so many days or weeks, in view of the very explicit treminology used in the Agreed Announcement. He observed that if the Communists did not release all the Americans “expeditiously” in the literal sense of the term, they would be in an absolutely indefensible [Facsimile Page 2] position. We would have the best club imaginable to beat them with. Not even their best apologists, such as the Indians, would excuse them if they failed to act promptly on all Americans. WSR thinks that their prestige is involved and they know it. They may have consciously and deliberately decided to release all the Americans in a hurry, if we allow them to do it in their own way and without any suggestion of an ultimatum in terms of so many days. It would seem to be part of their general diplomatic campaign to win widespread acceptance and respectability.
WSR thinks it very important for you not to imply in any way that we think it might take sixty or ninety days to complete the implementation. “Expeditiously” obviously means a shorter time than that. There is a chance that the Americans might be released practically en masse in ten days or two weeks. This is what it ought to mean. If we show that we don’t really expect them to move with celerity probably they won’t, but if we make it clear that we take speedy action for granted, they will be put on their mettle, and probably live up to what is expected of them on this since it fits in with their accelerated diplomatic campaign. Obviously you don’t put them on their honor because you expect them to act for honor’s sake, but sometimes it may serve their calculated purposes to deliver when they are put on their honor, and this may be such an instance.
It is clearly important not to get into the substance of Item Two until all the Americans are out. When we talk about “discussion about Item Two” and “what should constitute Item Two” we mean the topics [Facsimile Page 3] that might be appropriate for acceptance under Item Two. Even this discussion of what would be appropriate topics should be recessed if the Agreed Announcement is not carried out in good faith. WSR’s last injunction to me in Richmond yesterday afternoon was to stress the importance of not getting into actual substance of Item Two until all the Americans are out and that includes of course the hard-core cases. We would probably never get the most difficult cases out if we move into Item two while they are still held.
We probably won’t inform the Indians of the contemplated arrangements until after the Tuesday meeting. We have already informed the British and they are ready to assume their role.
[Typeset Page 208]Joe Nagoski is working full time on the assembling of information on Chinese in this country who have been assisted, who have left, and who are about to leave. A wealth of information is available and it will be sent to you as it seems needful. Herman Phleger thinks there is enough grist to keep the mill going for sometime if needed.
WSR is to return to the Department on Tuesday the 6th. Carl McCardle is on leave and Bob McIlvaine will help us handle the press and public relations aspects which will undoubtedly involve some problems. The Secretary said yesterday that probably we should have some sort of backgrounder for the press when the Agreed Announcement comes out making it particularly clear just what the limitations are and what the announcement does not signify.
We are getting out a circular to all our Chiefs of Mission from the Secretary right after the announcement is released, spelling out for them that the Agreement does not signify any relaxation [Facsimile Page 4] to our opposition to recognition of UN seating of Communist China, and that there is no change in our policy of support of the GRC. The circular will also point out that the continued Chinese Communist military build-up in the South China coastal area and their direct and indirect support of threat of force and subversion against the Governments of Korea, Vietnam and Laos are serious unsettling factors in the general Far Eastern situation.
Bill and I were particularly happy to see the Secretary’s personal telegram of commendation to you. It is well deserved and it means a lot. Congratulations and regards,
Sincerely,
- Source: Department of State, Geneva Talks Files, Lot 72D415. Secret; Official–Informal.↩