396.1 GE/5–554: Telegram
No. 189
The Secretary of
State to the United States
Delegation at the Geneva Conference
Tosec 151. Reference Secto 104.1 Interdepartmental committee agreed Tuesday2 recommend Attorney General reappraise all [Page 417] cases Chinese (now mostly teaching colleges or working private labs) detained United States by individual administrative orders, using criterion future detention only if return to Communist China would substantially injure defense United States. Recommendation predicated on assumption that release of Chinese will obtain release American citizens held Communist China. Appears likely Attorney General will agree and start necessary procedures at once.
Preliminary survey indicates most detainees will be allowed return after reappraisal, 8 to 10 repeatedly attempted obtain exit permits. Sentiments others unknown. Canvass of their desires to start near future.
Defense participating in procedures and asks that Vice Admiral Davis3 be informed of foregoing.
- Secto 104 (see footnote 3, Document 187) also commented that the Chinese would probably react to the proposed IRC approach concerning U.S. civilians by raising the question of Chinese detained in the United States. Secto 88 from Geneva, May 4, reported that Huang Hua, adviser and spokesman for the Chinese Delegation, had told a reporter that the Americans imprisoned in China “were being held hostage for the fifty Chinese students that the US would not allow to be returned to China.” (396.1 GE/5–454)↩
- May 11.↩
- Davis was serving as a special adviser to the U.S. Delegation.↩