793.003 C 73/351: Telegram
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 27—6:56 a.m.]
580. 1. The substance of your telegram number 276, November 22, 3 p.m., was conveyed to the Foreign Office. By a memorandum actually sent yesterday morning in a note 26th and received yesterday evening and purporting to be a reply to ours of October 28th,67 in pursuance of your circular telegram October 25, 6 p.m.67 the Foreign Office states as follows:
“It will not [sic] be recalled that the question of publicity of the report has been reserved for discussion and arrangement among the Governments concerned.
In view of the importance of the conclusions of the Commission, the work of translating the recommendations contained in part 4 into the Chinese language was first undertaken and is now completed. It is therefore suggested to have this part published first together with the declaration made by Dr. Wang Chung-hui, Chinese commissioner, before signing the report.68
As for parts 1, 2, and 3, of the report, the Chinese Government, in view of the general reservation made by the Chinese Commissioner relative thereto, are of the opinion that publication of these parts may give rise to misapprehensions, and it is therefore desirable to withhold it.”
2. I assume that the Department intends to follow out its purpose of making public the full text of the report without regard to the Chinese suggestion that recommendations be published without the findings upon which they are based.