794A.00/7–1350: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in China
33. Urtels 25 July 71 and 59 July 13.2 Dept approves action proposed urtel 25. You shld inform K. C. Wu that you are making further inquiries re FLR leaders on Dept instrs. Suggest approach along fol lines:
Dept aware necessity preventing dangerous subversive action Formosa. However, in view assertions by several countries that Natl Govt has lost popular support Chi mainland and Formosa, Chi Govt will doubtless have in mind desirability avoiding any unnecessarily provocative action toward Formosans which might cause Formosan hostility and wld lend coloration these reports. Reiterating previously expressed views, US Govt has been interested in and sought to further where it cld resistance Formosan population to Commie penetration and subversion and good relations between Natl Govt and Formosan people. US interest in case FLR leaders arises from interest these factors, and humanitarian concern. Therefore Dept desires you report re treatment and conditions of detention these persons.
- Not printed; in this telegram, Mr. Strong expressed his intention to ask K. C. Wu what the Chinese Government intended to do with the 10 FLR leaders being held in prison (794A.00/7–750).↩
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The text of telegram 59 read as follows:
“Mytel 25, July 7; repeated Hong Kong 3.
“Vice Consul Osborn reports interview today with Margaret Liao [wife of John Liao] in which she made following statements:
“Police have informed her that Peter Huang will tomorrow be sentenced 14 years imprisonment, John Liao 7 years and others lesser periods. Charge will be that they Commies.
“Now 14 jailed in smaller room than previously used for only ten. All very bad shape from physical abuse and living conditions. Huang losing his sanity. One has tuberculosis, another badly inflamed ribs.” (794A.00/7–1350)
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