744. Letter 58 from McConaughy to Johnson1
The world shaking events in Hungary and Egypt hare indeed crowded out our Geneva operation. It is just as well that we were able to take a back seat at this time.
You handled the postponement of last week’s meeting precisely right. We agree that a two week postponement was all that could justifiably be requested in the circumstances. The confluence of the crises in Eastern Europe and Suez with the preoccupations of the pre-election week undoubtedly made the reasons for postponement quite understandable.
EUR is no doubt less uneasy about your leaving your post for the next meeting. They were quite apprehensive last week, but your assessment that no early eruption in Czechoslovakia should be anticipated, should remove any strong objection to your absence from Prague next week. However, EUR from a longer range standpoint is not happy with the double duty arrangement.
There has been no meeting yet on your instructions for the next session. With the Secretary in the hospital and with Herman Phleger [Facsimile Page 2] deeply engrossed in the two major crises, the meeting will be largely a FE proposition. I do not anticipate anything new. We will consider the pros and cons of taking up the missing military personnel issue at Geneva again at the next meeting, but I would not be surprised if we postponed it for at least one more meeting.
The British still have no reply from the Chinese Communists, either to the Father McCarthy representation or to the general request of last August for permission to visit all American prisoners. Relations between the British Mission in Peiping and the Chinese Communist Foreign Office are more strained than they have been since the Korean Armistice, with the Egyptian crises added to the Hong Kong border violation incident and the nasty attitude the Chinese Communists have taken on the Hong Kong riots.
In reading over your letter of September 22, requesting a change in the method of payment for Helenka Osborn, we find your request somewhat ambiguous [Facsimile Page 3] [text not declassified]. We would appreciate your [Typeset Page 1235] clarifying your proposal in your next letter and we will do the best we can to satisfy your needs.
We are enclosing a copy of a document spelling out Chinese Communist adherence to certain provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
Walter Robertson is to leave Washington November 22 for Wellington, where he will head the U.S. Delegation at the Colombo Plan Meeting December 4–8. After that, he will visit Djakarta, Manila, Hong Kong and Tokyo from Dec. 11 to Dec. 18, arriving back in Washington about December 20. Mrs. Robertson and Howard Jones will accompany him.
We were glad to get your letters No. 47 and 48 an October 29 [Facsimile Page 4] and November 5 respectively. You and Dave indeed did a good job on the summary and history of the talks. It is good to have this on hand, whether Wang makes any major move at the next meeting or not.
Regards and good wishes,
Sincerely,
Enclosures:
- 1.
- Clipping from FBIS–Nov. 6, “NPC Committee Approves Geneva Accords”.
- 2.
- Clipping from FBIS–Nov. 7, “CPR Ratifies Four Geneva Conventions”.
- Source: Department of State, Geneva Talks Files, Lot 72D415. Secret; Official–Informal.↩