Evening star., 1945-11-28
Byrnes to Investigate Charges
By Hurley, but Fails to See Bosis
For Attack on Career Diplomats
Little Importance Is
Attached to Cose,
Secretary Implies
BY GARNETT D. HORNER.

dence to support charges-made
yesterday by Maj. Gen. Patrick
]. Hurley in resigning as Am
baSSador to China-that Ameri-
can career. diplomats are wreck
ing the Governments proclaimed
foreign policy, but said he would
investigate specific complaints
made by Gen. Hurley.
Secretary Byrnes met more than
100 reporters at news conference
shortly after comforting at the White
House today with President Truman
and Gen. George C. Marshall, re-
tired Army Chief of Staff, who was
named late yesterday as special en-
voy to China after Gen. Hurley's
resignation
The Secretary said it had not been
decided Just when Gen. Marshall
would leave for China, but that his
departure is. planned soon. The
President and Secretary Byrnes will
confer with Gen. Marshall again at
$3.50 o'clock this afternoon and prob
ably again tomorrow, the White
House said.
Without saying so directly, Secre-
tary Byrnes implied that he at
tached little Importance to the bit
ter and sweeping charges made by
Gen. Hurley against the career for
eign service.
Secretary Unperturbed.
He commented that he had read
reports in the newspapers that the
State Department had an anti
Russian bloc, and that now Gen.
Hurley says it has pro-Communist
as well as proimperialist bloc. Re-
marking that apparently there are
all kinds of opinion in the State
Department, the Secretary said that
might be good thing.
He disclosed that Gen. Hurley had
complained to him specifically about
the activities of George Atcheson,
jr., former counselor of the Embassy
at Chungking, and John S. Service,
who formerly was diplomatic sec
retary in the Embassy. Mr.. Atche-
son now is in Tokyo as political ad-
wiser to Gen. Macarthur, and Mr..
Service is one of his assistants.
Emphasizing that these two men
were the only ones against whom
Gen. Hurley had voiced specific
complaints to him, Mr.. Byrnes said
he was going to look into reports
in which they were said to have ex-
pressed opinions differing from
those of Gen. Hurley. q
Byrnes Admits Surprise.
He confirmed that Gen. Hurley's
resignation in a public statement
came as surprise to him, telling
reporters that he received the Am
baSsador's agreement Monday to
return to China and had expected
him to return this afternoon after
a luncheon address to the National
Press Club
Mr.. Byrnes said that after the
resignation statement was published
yesterday he telephoned Gen. Hur-
ley, who told him that he had de-
termined to quit after reading some
speeches made in Congress Monday
which he believed were aimed at
him and were based on information
from the State Department.
Mr.. Byrnes refused to identify the
speeches mentioned by Gen. Hurley,
remarking there had been several,
but said he could not attempt to
stop any leaks" from the State
Department to members of Congress.
Byrnes Regrets Action.
Declaring that Gen. Hurley is one
of his good friends, Mr.. Byrnes said
he greatly regretted that he could
not see his way clear to return to
China.
The Secretary said that after Gen.
Hurley had voiced his complaints
about Mr.. Atcheson and Mr.. Service
he had pointed out that they no
longer were in China and had as
sured Gen. Hurley tha0as long as he
remained as Ambassador to China
any one on his staff who interfered
would be removed
Mr.. Byrnes added that he had
suggested that in view of the many
= urgent problems confronting this
Government now, and in view of the
assurances to Gen. Hurley that he
had the support of the President
and Secretary of State, he could go
ahead with his mission in China
and not attach too much Importance
to something that had happened
months ago.
Atcheson Letter Recalled.
The Secretary said his informa-
tion is that at one period while Gen.
Hurley was in Washington for con-
sultations, and Mr.. Atcheson was
acting in charge of the Chungking
Embassy, Mr.. Atcheson wrote a let
(See MARSHALL, Page A-5.)