293.1122/4–1051
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of Chinese Affairs (Clubb)
Subject: Welfare of American Citizens in China
| Participants: | Mr. D. A. Greenhill, First Secretary, British Embassy |
| Mr. O. Edmund Clubb, CA |
Mr. Greenhill called and gave me the essence of an exchange of communications between the Foreign Office and the Chargé d’Affaires at Peking.1 The Foreign Office had indicated to the Chargé the possible desirability of now making representations regarding the welfare of various foreign nationals in China. The U.S. was concerned with the welfare of its citizens, and the UK, Canada and Australia were likewise concerned. It is proposed that there be made a general approach on behalf of the nationals of those four countries in view of the “increasing gravity” of the problem.
The British Chargé replied in favor of taking the matter up at this time, suggesting that representations be limited in the first instance to the arrests of nationals of the several countries, that questions of travel permits and visas might be taken up separately at another time. He remarked on the Chinese Communist side the “special motives of retaliation against United States interests” possibly deriving from U.S. policy. He proposed to take the whole matter up in an aide-mémoire along the general lines of the attached draft.2 The Chargé agreed that the potential effect of such an aide-mémoire would probably not be helped by appeals to legal considerations and he therefore prepared to limit his argumentation in this regard. He believed that no harm could be wrought for persons at present under detention if the aide-mémoire were accurate and its terminology not violent. He believed that it would be appropriate to wait two or three weeks after presentation of the aide-mémoire to see whether there would be any developments, whereupon a statement might be issued.
Mr. Greenhill said, apparently reflecting his own thinking, that he saw no reason why one could not at time of presentation of the aide-mémoire make a brief statement to the general effect that representation to the Chinese Communist authorities had been made regarding the matter in point. I said that I myself tended to feel as I inferred Mr. Lamb (the British Chargé at Peking) also felt, that it would probably be better to make no statement at this time but to wait two or three weeks and then make the matter public.
[Page 1626]I commented briefly on the draft presented by Mr. Greenhill, suggesting in regard to paragraph (f) a rewording to propose likewise that persons under detention have access to such legal counsel as they were entitled by Chinese law and to propose that hearings of their cases be held promptly and that the British Charge be informed of the particular legal charges made against those under detention.
Mr. Greenhill, in a subsequent telephone conversation, confirmed that the British authorities proposed to go forward with the matter.