Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, China and Japan, Volume XIV, Part 1

293.1111/9–1253: Telegram

No. 137
The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations¹

confidential

Washington, September 12, 1953—6:11 p.m.

122. Re: Americans Detained in Communist China (Your letter Aug. 14, 1953).² Department suggests Lodge take opportunity to discuss privately with Vishinsky³ possibility USSR might exercise its influence in obtaining release of about 100 Americans now detained in Communist China, particularly the 34 Americans reported to be incarcerated or under house arrest.⁴ (See also Deptel 130 to USUN, April 2, 1953.)⁵

If Lodge-Vishinsky discussions indicate it would be useful, Department will request AmEmbassy Moscow discuss matter with Molotov or Gromyko as follow up New York conversations. (FYI First US approach USSR re Americans under detention made September 1951 by Kirk to Vishinsky at Moscow and was twice followed up by Embassy.⁶ Approaches non-productive. In May 1953, Embassy under instruction referred to previous notes, again asked for Soviet assistance re Americans. List imprisoned Americans including “Kert” victims given Soviets. Embassy followed up in June 1953, said we might have to publicize Soviet lack of interest. These US approaches to USSR made public knowledge in Congressional letters in July. In August, Soviet Ambassador at Peiping was consulted by Swedish Ambassador re current informal oral approaches to Chinese Communist officials by certain other foreign diplomats for release American and foreign nationals on broad humanitarian grounds. Soviet Ambassador reportedly said time opportune for moves. Meantime Department asking British to present Chinese Communists second letter re six of eight American priests arrested Shanghai June 1953 who still in jail.)⁷ We also intend continue use available diplomatic channels at Peiping, closely coordinating them with your actions at UN on this matter.

It might be helpful, where appropriate, to refer to Chinese Communist detention US nationals during discussion other items in UN organs or specialized agencies, along the lines Lodge statement on Czech item, March 25, 1953.⁸ This would indicate continuing US interest without possibly hampering diplomatic efforts by UN discussion of nature which would make it difficult convince Communists release detainees because of strong public attack on them by US in UN Forum.

Dulles

1. Repeated to Moscow, London, and Hong Kong.
2. Not found in Department of State files.
3. Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky, Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
4. A memorandum of Oct. 20, from Robertson to Arthur H. Dean, U.S. Representative to the preliminary talks at Panmunjom for a political conference on Korea, stated that Lodge had raised this subject at dinner with Vyshinsky on Oct. 15 and that Vyshinsky had replied, “You should get the man you are sending to Panmunjom to speak of this to the Chinese directly. You will find that they are human beings, too.” Robertson stated that the question of whether or not to raise the subject at Panmunjom was under Departmental consideration. (FE files, lot 55 D 388, “Korean Political Conference, October 1953”) A memorandum of Oct. 16, from Lodge to Smith, describing the conversation with Vyshinsky, cited in Robertson’s memorandum, has not been found in Department of State files.
5. Reference is apparently to telegram 750 to Moscow, repeated to the U.S. Mission at the United Nations as telegram 371, Apr. 2, concerning U.S. civilians interned in North Korea. (611.95A251/4–253)
6. See telegrams 586, 397, and 1050 from Moscow, Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. vii, Part 1, p. 1001, and Part 2, pp. 1798 and 1873, respectively.
7. Documentation concerning these approaches in Moscow and Peking is in file 293.1111; see also telegram 1621 from London, Document 143. A Department of State press release of Oct. 9, citing various approaches on behalf of U.S. nationals in China, is printed in Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 26, 1953, p. 551.
8. For the text of Lodge’s remarks on this subject, made in the First Committee of the General Assembly on Mar. 25, 1953, see ibid., Apr. 13, 1953, p. 546.