724. Letter 56 from McConaughy to Johnson1
We agree with you that the Agreed Announcement on increased human contacts which Wang proposed last meeting is designed for early public exploitation. You handled it very well and we will probably adopt a somewhat similar approach should we be called upon to make a public statement.
We were glad that you resisted the pressure to comment at Geneva on the last Chinese Communist press release. Your comment as you say would only serve to build up their statement.
While it is impossible to be certain in these matters, we consider it unlikely that the Communists are moving toward a break off or suspension of the talks. Ever since the beginning of the year they have periodically accused us of stalling and intimated that they might break off the talks. However they are still talking. We think, given the present world situation and the Chinese Communist “peaceful” posture, that it would not be easy for Peiping to terminate the talks.
We have succeeded in setting up a procedure for sending reading material to the remaining prisoners. MATS will carry the packages free [Facsimile Page 2] of charge to Hong Kong where they will be forwarded by the Army Liaison Officer to Downey and Fecteau and by the Consulate to the others.
We have made preliminary inquiries about shifting Helenka to a daily contractual basis. There seems to be no insuperable obstacle to this so we are getting the paper work started today.
Regards and good wishes,
Sincerely,
- Source: Department of State, Geneva Talks Files, Lot 72D415. Confidential; Official–Informal. Drafted by Clough.↩