Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 318
No. 204
Memorandum by the Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Drumright) to the
Secretary of State
Subject:
- Proposed Direct Negotiations with Chinese Communists on Question of Imprisoned Americans.
Secto 3501 (attached) reports that Trevelyan feels unable to continue at Geneva his role of intermediary on the above issue. His stated reason is a Chinese Communist remark that further efforts by Trevelyan “would be pointless”.
The foregoing development is the only new factor since your decision of last week not to authorize direct negotiations. In our view it [Page 441] is not sufficient to justify a reversal of our position. It would seem that Trevelyan has given up very readily, and that our delegation has abandoned hope of prevailing on the British to persist in their efforts. It seems even more clear from Secto 350 that the Chinese, seemingly abetted by the British, are trying to get US to enter into direct negotiations with the Chinese Communists.
The high level meeting recommended in Secto 350 (Robertson with Chiang Wen-tien, Deputy Chief of the Chinese Communist delegation) would have more far-reaching implications than the lower level approach recommended earlier, as to (1) de facto recognition, (2) departure from our basic decision to discuss at Geneva only settlement of the Korean and Indochina questions with the Communist side, and (3) substitution of direct negotiations for third power representation of United States interests as to mainland China.
There is little reason to believe that the proposed meeting would improve the prospects of the detained Americans, particularly since we are not prepared to force the return to Communist China of Chinese students in this country. It now seems that no more than a dozen or so of the 5,400 Chinese students in this country have any desire to return to mainland China.
We may have difficulty in convincing the relatives of the imprisoned Americans that we have not been indifferent to their plight. But we would have greater difficulty in justifying an about-face on our oft-repeated stand against negotiating with the Chinese Communists as a central government on an issue not directly related to their aggression.
Recommendation
That you withhold the authorization requested in Secto 350 and instead instruct United States delegation to urge the Chief of the British delegation to instruct Trevelyan to continue and intensify his efforts as the representative of American interests in Communist China.