Evening star., 1951-06-10
Sparkman Declares
Policy Opposition
Is Relatively New

Is Relatively New
FOLLOWING is a partial tran
script OF yesterdays testimony
By Secretary of State Acl1eSon
before a Joint Senate committee
Investigating Far Eastern policy:
Senator Sparkman-Mr. Secre.
tary, it seems to me that in the
several days that you have spent
here the testimony has pretty
well narrowed down the issues
so far as the Governments foreign
policy is concerned to the fact
that the opposition has been in
a relatively small area, from the
standpoint of the globe. that is,
China.
Furthermore, it seems to me it
has developed that that opposition
is of rather recent development.
Do you think that is correct?
Secretary AcheSon-I think that
Is correct, sir.
Senator Sparkman-Certainly 1t
has developed following the failure
of Gen. Marshall'S mission to
China, if that is to be termed as
O failure?
Secretary Acheson-Yes, sir.
Senator Sparkman-Or the fall
ure to work out a peaceful salts
factory settlement in the govern
ment of China.
Secretary Acheson-Yes, Sena-
tor Sparkrnan, I think that is
J right. =.
Senator Sparkman- Mr..
Secretary, I keep hearing a great
deal about the so-called China
Lobby. I must say that know
nothing about it, but almost every
time we turn with references to
any new development over the last
two or three years, have heard
about opposition in at least one
area of our foreign policy, and
that is China-that is where it
has really grown. I have heard
what you have said here and I am
not asking you to restate your
situation.
AS I understand, you have made
It very clear. that it is not a
policy, it is not a function of the
State Department to make inves-
legations, but I do want to add my
word to what has already been
said by Senator Morse and Sena-
tor MacMahon and others, that
this Government ought to utilize
every power at it's command to
find out about these charges.
These things that come in edi-
torials and in the 2eading news
papers . hope that some
thing will be done to find out just
what it is that has been at work
that has developed this screen of
confusion and falsehood with ref
erence to the work of this Gov
eminent, particularly in orderly
relations with China and the Far
East.
Acheson Tells of Inquiry.
Secretary Acheson - Senator
&Sparkman, this may be a good
opportunity for me to make a
statement which I should like to
make on that subject. :. should
like to say that yesterday afternoon
I spent the time going through the
material which has been collected
for me in the State Department
on this subject.
There are reports from other
agencies such at the CIA reporting
things which have been said to
them, and those are sent along to
the other agencies of Government,
including the State Department.
There are in that file reports of
conferences and meetings between
officers of the State Department
and officers of other departments
in the Government on that gen.
eral subject, which are general
summaries of what information
the other department have, but
very sketchy in that regard.
There are reports from our own
officers overseas as to what has
been said to them by various peo-
pie. There are reports which have
been made to officers of the State
Department by people who come
in and say that some one has told
them various things.
! read all of this material yes
terday afternoon, and with one
exception, to which I shall revert
in a moment, these are all hear
say statements; that is, they are
statements which are made not
on the knowledge of the person
making them, but reporting
things which that informant, very
often not identified, has been told
by others. The exception to that
well, I will go on with that.
Illegal Recruiting Revealed.
The exception to that is con-
siderable amount of information
in the file which has to do not
with the improper use of funds
or proper use of funds to inf1u-
ence opinion, but with an alleged
attempt to violate the law
against recruiting in the United
States for foreign armies. There
is considerable direct evidence or
that subject in the file.
On that point, however. the file
ends up with the fact that the
person who was engaged in this
allegedly illegal activity died, anc
that brought an end to that par.
ticular effort.
This information is not sufficient
or would not warrant me in max
ing charges of any sort.
In the light of this file, it i.
quite clear that I could not say
that there is not such use o1
foreign funds, proper or improper
There is sufficient in this file tt
prevent me from saying that there
is not any use of funds.
Tt is not material which in any