695.0026/3–352
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Johnson)
Participants:
- Mr. Tomlinson—British Embassy
- Mr. Johnson—FE
Mr. Tomlinson called this afternoon at his request and read to me three telegrams1 from the U.K. Chargé at Peking (Lamb) concerning the current Chinese charges that the UNC is engaged in biological warfare in North Korea.
[Page 74]Lamb was very concerned over the build-up in the Chinese campaign and particularly on the apparent effect it was having on representatives of other agent countries in Peking. It was stated that both the Indonesian Chargé and Burmese Counselor had asked him what he thought about the matter in view of the endorsement given to the charge by Chou En-lai. Lamb also stated that Panikkar had informed him that the Soviet Ambassador had stated that he had received from the Chinese evidence with regard to biological warfare activities of the UNC but that he (the Soviet Ambassador) had not yet had an opportunity to evaluate the evidence. The Indian and the Pakistan Ambassadors also expressed to Lamb their grave concern over the wide acceptance in Peking of the allegations being made by the Chinese. Lamb stated that Chinese activities and propaganda on this subject in Peking is being heavily aimed at the Asian audience and the Asian Embassies in Peking. He is gravely concerned over the effect that it is having.
I informed Mr. Tomlinson that the charges were of course absurd and that as even Lamb had pointed out it was ridiculous to think of engaging in biological warfare by dropping bugs, fleas, and grasshoppers over North Korea in the dead of winter. I said that however I did share the concern of the U.K. that the Chinese were becoming enmeshed in their own progaganda net on this subject and desired to find some method of counteracting this danger as well as meeting the propaganda problem in other Asian countries. I stated that Lamb’s suggestion that we propose an impartial investigation by some “neutral” agency such as the ICRC seemed to me to be a good idea although I was not sure that the ICRC was the proper body. In reply to my request for any suggestions as to how the matter might be most effectively handled, Mr. Tomlinson suggested that the Secretary make a strong categorical denial in a press conference and at the same time suggest an impartial investigation by some neutral agency.
In reponse to his request, I promised to keep Mr. Tomlinson informed of any action which we decided to take in this regard.
- Copies of these British telegrams were not filed with the source text.↩