893.01/6–649: Telegram
The Minister-Counselor of Embassy in China (Clark) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 7—5:29 a. m.]
Cantel 539. Tung Ling, Vice Minister Foreign Office, confirms reports heard elsewhere that Foreign Office and other organs government have been directed reduce personnel by two-thirds. This reduction will also be applied Chinese diplomatic and consular service abroad. Move is to reduce most government and make ministries more mobile. Preliminary arrangements removal government Chungking already undertaken, he says, but admits government unlikely remain Chungking for long. His thinking, like that I encounter with increasing frequency of late, is that although government must maintain foothold on mainland long as possible, it is inevitable last bastion will be Taiwan where he hopes stand can be maintained until US–Soviet war which he believes inevitable.
Sent Department; repeated Nanking 365, Shanghai 311.