793.00/10–1454: Telegram
No. 343
The Acting
Secretary of State to the Embassy
in the Republic of China1
niact
236. Eyes only Ambassador Rankin from Secretary. Please deliver at once message contained immediately following telegram from Secretary to President Chiang Kai-shek. In so doing please stress necessity for absolute secrecy. You should tell him that due to absence of key Congressional leaders from Washington we cannot complete our consultations re mutual defense security treaty for at least three weeks, when Congressional elections will be over and Senate reconvened for action on McCarthy matter.2 Therefore no announcement or word of our intention to initiate discussions with ChiNats can become public until we have completed our Congressional consultations and agreed with ChiNats on an appropriate announcement.