Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, China, Volume XIX

329. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State⁰

Warsaw, March 22, 1960, 7 p.m.

1466. Beam–Wang Talks. 97th meeting two hours.¹

Wang opened with brief statement informing me Walsh had been tried and sentenced to 20 years for espionage and declaring this was just another example of US imperialist effort subvert new China. I responded with strong protest along lines Deptel 970.²

Wang rejected protest and continued to develop theme that Walsh incident proved US aggressive intent against his country, citing Parsons speech³ and Herter letter to Dalai Lama to bolster his case. I refuted Wang’s allegations of US aggressive intent and made statements on Parsons speech and Herter letter accordance guidance Deptel 966.⁴

After some further give-and-take in which Wang attempted demonstrate US itself failed to practice principle of self-determination in respect Negroes and American Indians, he went on to cite US maneuvers in Far East, statements by US military spokesmen and alleged intrusions into Chinese Communist territorial waters as further evidence US plotting. I denied allegation by continuing with material from first paragraph Deptel 966.

There was some further give-and-take along usual lines with respect Taiwan and renunciation force, following which I made statement on US imprisoned civilians and missing servicemen. Wang made customary reply in very brief form.

I then raised question of newsmen covering material in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of Deptel 966 to which Wang made short reply endeavoring demonstrate US responsible in past for failure exchange of journalists and then stating he reserved right to comment on other aspects this matter at next meeting. Since Wang’s last statement indicated Chinese Communists may be planning shift in their position or some new initiative in this matter I thought it best not to inform him we intended make public statement.⁵ Instead, I said we not interested in debating where responsibility lay in the past for failure of journalists travel take place but rather wanted to know whether his side was still interested in bringing about such exchange.

Wang’s proposed “for administrative reasons” on his side that next meeting not be held until May and we agreed on May 17 2:00 p.m.

Beam

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/3–2260. Confidential; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Taipei. The documents cited in footnotes 1, 2, and 4 below are in the Supplement.
1. Beam sent his comments and recommendations in telegram 1468 from Warsaw, March 23, and a transcript of the meeting in airgram G–169, March 25. (Ibid., 611.93/3–2360 and 611.93/3–2560, respectively)
2. Telegram 970 to Warsaw, March 19, instructed Beam to protest in the strongest possible terms the trial and sentencing of Bishop Walsh, which had been announced March 18. (Ibid., 611.93/3–1960)
3. Reference is to an address by Parsons before the Wisconsin Bar Association in Milwaukee on February 19; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, March 14, 1960, pp. 404–410.
4. Telegram 966 to Warsaw, March 18, conveyed Beam’s instructions for the meeting. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/3–1860)
5. A draft press release stating that Beam had raised the newsmen issue at the February 23 meeting and reiterating the U.S. position on the issue was transmitted in telegram 967 to Warsaw, March 18. (Ibid.) The Department did not release the statement but instead issued a press release on March 22 stating that Beam had protested the trial and sentencing of Bishop Walsh at the meeting that day; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, April 11, 1960, p. 556.