705. Letter 54 from Clough to Johnson1
Your letter of August 20 reached us after Walter McConaughy had departed August 24 for a week’s leave in Alabama. However copies have been sent to Messrs. Robertson, Phleger and Sebald. We had a brief meeting before Walter left to consider developments at the last meeting. While we recognize the problem created by Wang’s efforts to push you into a corner on whether or not we will discuss trade, we consider it unlikely that the Chinese Communists will endeavor to bring about a break or a prolonged suspension of the talks over this issue. It seems more likely that they will go to the public again in an endeavor to make propaganda capital out of their proposed agreed announcement on trade. We are satisfied that we are still in a strong public position so long as Peiping still holds Americans and refuses to announce the use of force. We will meet on Sept. 4 after Walter’s return to prepare your instructions for the next meeting which we hope will give you the kind of guidance requested.
It is unfortunate that Time Magazine distorted your remarks. [Facsimile Page 2] However the story does not appear to have been picked up by any other news source in the United States nor have we seen it used on Communist broadcasts.
The Red Cross is still engaged in the process of interviewing prisoners. It has taken somewhat longer than they estimated but it seems to be proceeding smoothly enough. We do not know how the interviews are resulting because it was arranged for them to report only after all interviews were completed. However, we know that there is at least one prisoner who desires to go to Mainland China, as he has written us direct. However he is one who we thought had claimed American citizenship and therefore was not included on the original list. The final decision has not been made here as to whether or not we will bring the Indian Embassy in on the return of prisoners to Communist China. We will discuss your views at our next meeting.
The most important recent event in our relations with Communist China was the shooting down of a patrol plane last week. Enclosed is a copy of the Note delivered to Peiping by the British at our request and the Chinese Communist reply. On the basis of the facts we have [Typeset Page 1161] been able to gather about the incident, there is little question but that the plane was shot down by Chinese Communist fighters. However it appears that the plane may have been off course and over Chinese Communist territory or territorial waters when attacked. Whether it was forced there by Communist fighters is unknown. The Secretary has drafted a public statement giving the facts so far as we know them and characterizing [Facsimile Page 3] the attack as unprovoked and unjustified. It will also state that we will demand reparations. The finishing touches are being put on the statement in consultation with the Pentagon today and it will probably be issued before you receive this letter. We will see that you receive the text of the statement promptly.
The results of O’Neill’s renewed request to visit American prisoners were as expected. We shall await a reasonable time to see what reply the Chinese Communists will make to his approach. We intend to have him keep pressing Peiping on this point emphasizing the fact that American prisoners have been prevented from communicating with him and contrasting this with our offer to permit the Indians to see Chinese prisoners here even when the latter had not communicated with the Indian Embassy.
We were glad to have Dave’s letter enclosing his careful study of the new material on the missing servicemen. Col. Monroe who has just returned from a trip to Korea is coming over today to discuss the next move. A recent communication from UNCMAC gives their view that the matter should not be taken up again in UNCMAC but rather shifted to Geneva. We do not understand clearly the reasons for this and hope that Col. Monroe will be able to clarify this.
The Chinese student in the mental institution at Logansport, Indiana to whom we sent a copy of the Agreed Announcement has indicated he wishes [Facsimile Page 4] to communicate with the Indian Embassy. We have told him he may do so. And we have also informed the Indian Embassy of the case and our readiness to allow him to go to Mainland China so that they could not put it to us as a case of an individual claiming obstruction and thus mar the perfect record to date of having received no such representation.
The Chinese Communists are engaged in an all out campaign to have Americans come to Communist China. In addition to the visas approved for the news men, invitations have been issued to the U.S. National Students Association, to some of the relatives of American prisoners and we recently heard from an American missionary that he had been invited to make a trip to Communist China.
We are trying to get a hold of two copies of the Yale University publication on Chinese language reform which you requested and will send them to you as soon as we can get them.
[Typeset Page 1162]I hope you have a fine vacation and return renewed to the fray September 7.
Sincerely,
Enclosures:
- 1.
- Excerpts from Letter of April 22, 1956 from Mr. McCann
- 2.
- Article by David Lawrence “On Rejecting Reds’ New Lure”
- 3.
- FBIS article re comment of Chinese Communist Mission visiting Jordan.
- 4.
- Copy of text of letter sent to Peiping by British Aug. 25, 1956 re shooting down of patrol plane.
- 5.
- Copy of text of telegram from British Charge in Peiping, Aug. 25, re shooting down of patrol plane.
- Source: Department of State, Geneva Talks Files, Lot 72D415. Secret; Official–Informal.↩