232. Memorandum from Robertson to Dulles1
SUBJECT
- Conversations with Senator George and Congressman Richards
I visited Senator George at his office in Vienna, Georgia, on the 21st and had luncheon with Congressman Richards here in Washington on the 22nd. Memoranda of the conversations are attached.
[Typeset Page 307]I briefed them both in detail on the subject of our talks with the Red Chinese in Geneva. I explained the positions we had taken up to the present and planned to take in the future. Both gentlemen expressed unqualified approval of the course we were following. Both stated that in their opinion we should not proceed to a discussion of “practical matters” under item 2 until we were satisfied that our jailed citizens in China had been notified of their rights under the agreement of September 10th and further that the British Chargé in Peiping had been allowed personal communication with them.
They both agreed that we should insist that the Communists carry out their agreement for the discussion of “practical matters” at issue at the Ambassadorial level. Both agreed that the renunciation of force was a proper subject for discussion under item 2.
Senator George emphasized that we should not consider a conference between you and Chou En-lai until the Communists had publicly renounced the use of force in the settlement of the Formosa problem. I inferred from Congressman Richards’ conversation that he did not consider that a foreign ministers conference was called for under any conditions.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/9–2355. Secret. Drafted by Robertson. The attachments are printed as Documents 215 and 222.↩