Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Korea and China, Volume VII, Part 1

795.00/4–1951

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs (Johnson) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Merchant)

confidential

[Washington,] April 20, 1951.

Subject: Alleged Bombing Attack on China Coast near Shanghai

With reference to New York’s 1425, April 19, concerning Rau’s report that Panikkar had reported from Peiping that an air attack had been made on the China coast by US bombers, I talked to Admiral Thach¹ in the Navy regarding the possibility of planes from the 7th Fleet on its recent sweep along the south China coast having accidentally bombed Chinese territory.² Admiral Thach immediately sent a radio to COMNAVFE which replied that no bombing of any kind took place and none could have as none of the planes carried any bombs whatever and not a shot was fired by any of the planes.

I informed Mr. Hickerson of the foregoing in order that a categorical denial could be made to Rau. I agreed with Admiral Thach that no public statement in this regard would be made without prior clearance with the Navy.

1. Rear Adm. James H. Thach, Director, International Affairs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations.
2. See footnote 2, p. 298.