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

296. Telegram 896 from Geneva¹

Geneva, October 19, 1955, noon

896. From Johnson.

1. Re penultimate sentence paragraph 1 Deptel 914.

2. For following reasons I question desirability quoting newspaper editorial in meeting:

A. I open door to Wang quoting back to me as expressions US public opinion other American newspaper editorials favoring higher level meeting, even recognition, admission to UN, et cetera. (He can always find something our press quote against me while we can be sure we will never find anything CHICOM press quote against him.)

B. While cited editorial is excellent and I have in past and will continue make its principal points, my quoting it in meeting constitutes degree of endorsement which may require me to defend in detail. For example while phrase “Red China” is perfectly proper in context editorial and even public statements in US, it is type of phrase which I have thus far avoided in meeting and if Wang were to use corresponding Communist phrases in characterizing US Government or its officers I would expect immediately call him on it. Next, reference in fourth sentence editorial to “still larger number supposedly free to leave” presumably refers to “47”.
I do not believe we have any evidence or even indication support implication these persons most of whom probably working for CHICOMs desire to leave or are being prevented from leaving. In fact at last meeting I rejected Wang’s efforts confuse issue with this group. While editorial speaks of “top level” meeting “between Secretary of State Dulles and Red Chinese Premier Chou En-lai” Wang has spoken only of “higher level” meeting and while implication of Dulles-Chou meeting is clear it has never been specifically identified as such.

C. It seems to me I weaken my position as spokesman in these negotiations for a representative government presumably able to speak for and assess public opinion much better than any newspaper by formally introducing a newspaper editorial to support our position. He will be able throw back at me my previous statements early in negotiations on undesirability using press as authoritative source. (See 11th paragraph Mytel 354).

3. I can and will in meeting strongly make point on hardening of US public opinion because CHICOM failure implement announcements. CHICOMs closely follow US press and well know which papers are authoritative and influential, and will well know accuracy my statements without my reading editorials to them.

4. Therefore believe best use this and similar editorials in repetition to China by VOA and inclusion in Wireless Bulletin which they able closely follow.

Gowen

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/10–1955. Secret; Niact; Limited Distribution.