Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Volume III, China, Microfiche Supplement

816. Letter 71 from Clough to Johnson¹

Letter No. 71

Washington, July 18, 1957

Dear Alex:

I have just received your letter of July 11 and will not try to comment on it in detail at this time. Needless to say we will proceed to act on your various suggestions, none of which seems particularly difficult to accomplish.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Secretary, Mr. Berding and Mr. Robertson are meeting today with representatives of American press media to see whether a formula can be worked out which would permit limited travel by correspondents to Communist China without too seriously compromising our China Policy. Whether it will be possible to devise any effective safeguard against a gradual erosion of all travel restrictions, I rather doubt. However, it looks very much as if we will make the attempt.

If we should undertake a limited relaxation of our travel ban to permit correspondents to go to Communist China, do you see any advantage in announcing this to Wang at Geneva simultaneously with or prior to public announcement? Since we took a firm position last year that we would not authorize such travel so long as the Chinese Communists refuse to release the imprisoned Americans, it is hard to see how we could get any mileage out of announcing to Communist China that we are backing down on this point. On the contrary our action might simply confirm the Communists in their apparent belief that time is on their side and that we will eventually make the concessions they desire without their releasing the Americans or taking any other step which they might regard as concession to us. This of course would be the case whether we announced our action in the Geneva forum or not.

We would appreciate your views on this as soon as possible. There is enclosed a draft press release which will give you an idea of the type of announcement which is being considered. It is by no means final and may undergo many further changes.

Sincerely yours,

Ralph N. Clough

Enclosure

Draft Press Release No. 9²

Washington, July 11, 1957

DRAFT PRESS RELEASE

The policy of the United States with reference to Communism in China, non-recognition, no commercial or cultural relations and related matters has been recently restated by the Secretary of State in his address of June 28, 1957, at San Francisco. In application of this policy, there are relevant laws and executive orders, notably the Trading with the Enemy Act and determinations there-under. Generally speaking, it is not consistent with United States policy, or lawful, that there be travel by Americans to the areas of China now under Communist control.

However, the Secretary of State has determined that, in view of the desirability of additional information respecting current conditions within China, it may prove consistent with the foreign policy of the United States that exceptionally, there be travel by a strictly limited number of American news representatives to the China mainland to permit direct reporting by them to the American people about conditions in the area under Chinese Communist control.

The Department of State is therefore willing on an experimental basis to issue passports not restricted as regards travel to and on the mainland of China to not more than ten to fifteen experienced professional American news representatives. These representatives will be designated, not by the Department, but by the major news media—newspapers, radio, television and magazines—as they have in other situations requiring a limitation of numbers. The Department notes that representatives of many news media have already suggested that a representative from each of the twelve organizations which maintained full-time American correspondents in China at the time of the Communist assumption of power be included in the designated correspondents, and the Department is prepared to adopt this suggestion if there is substantial agreement by the major news media. The provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Act and the regulations issued there-under will be suspended to the limited extent required by this experiment. The experiment will be carried out on the following assumptions:

(1) That the present validation of passports will be for a period expiring December 31, 1957.

(2) That those traveling to mainland China do so knowing that they face abnormal personal risks due to the failure of the Chinese Communist regime to treat American citizens in accordance with the accepted code of civilized nations.

(3) That all of the representatives designated by the major American news media on this basis receive Communist permission to enter the China mainland, with the understanding that they intend to travel, get information, and freely report as to real conditions in China. It is hoped that American correspondents in mainland China will be able to report on the condition and treatment of the Americans illegally held in Chinese prisons, as to whose fate there is deep concern on the part of the American nation. It is also to be understood that the United States will not accord reciprocal visas to Chinese bearing passports issued by the Chinese Communist regime.

(4) The Department emphasizes that the limited exception here suggested is upon an experimental basis. If for any reason it cannot be carried out substantially in accordance with the conditions stated above, or is otherwise found by the Department to have direct or indirect consequences adverse to the foreign policy of the United States, then the experiment will be discontinued.

1. Source: Department of State, Geneva Talks Files, Lot 72D415. No classification marking. A copy was sent to Martin.
2. Official Use Only.