Evening star., 1951-12-14
Dismissal Based
On Role Of Official
In Amerasia Case

Following are terts OF the
opinion OF the State Department
Loyalty Security Board and of
the Loyalty ReuieD Board in
reference to John Stewart
SerUice::
The case of John Stewart Serv
ice. on which the Loyalty Securit,
Board of the Department of Stat,
had reported a favorable deter.
mination based on the information
then available, was remanded tha
the reviewing panel had concluded
that the record had not beer
fully developed, and that a hear
ing should be held on charges. II
accordance with this recommends.
ton charges were preferred agains
Mr.. Service and a hearing has
been held. The hearing before
the Loyalty Security Board ha,
consumed fifteen days and has
resulted in the accumulation of q
voluminous transcript and nu-
merous exhibits.
Although the regulations pre-
scribed by the Loyalty Security
Board shall state merely the &C.
tion taken" it is the feeling of the
Loyalty Security Board that a full
statement should be made of the
reasons for its conclusions in this
case. in view of the wide interest
In the "Amerasia' case. in con-
nection with which Mr.. Service
was arrested in 1945.
John S. Service was born in
Chengtu, China, August 3, 1909,
of American missionary parents.
He was educated at Shanghai
American School. Berkeley High
School (Berkeley, Calif.) and
Oberlin College. A. B. 1881. At
Obrelin he was captain of two
athletic teams and president of
the Mems Honor Court. In 1888
he returned to China and became
clerk in the American Consulate
at Running. in the Province of
Yunnan. In 1885 he was admitted
to the Foreign Service and was
assigned as a language student
at the Embassy in Peiping; in
1888 he was transferred to the
Consulate at Shanghai; in 1941
he was assigned as third secre-
tary of the Embassy at Chunking.
After a four-month leave in
the United States in 1942-43. he
was sent to Lanchow, in May
l943, as an observer for the En-
hassy. In August, 1943, at the
request of Secretary of War Stim-
son, he was detached from the
Embassy and assigned to Gen.
Stilwell, commander of the Amer
lean forces in the China Burma
India Theater. During this serv-
ice he was sent with an Army
observer group to the Communist
headquarters in Yenan. He was
in Yenan from July to October
of that year, and was then re-
turned to the United States. at
the time of Gen. Stilwell's recall.
After a brief period of consulta-
ton in Washington he went on
leave.
In January, 1945, he was again
ordered to Chunking. for detail
to the staff of Gen. Wedemeyer.
who succeeded Gen. Stilwell. On
March 9 he was again sent to
Yenan under Army orders to re-
port on an expected Communist
Party congress. but on March 30
was suddenly ordered to return to
the United States. where he ar
rived on April IL. He was ar
rested on June 6, in connection
with the so-called "Amerasia"
affair. but on August 10 the grand
Jury returned mo true bilp'
against him. In September, 1945.
he was assigned to the staff of
the United States political ad-I
wiser in Tokyo, where he served
until he was hospitalized, from
April to August, 1916.
After a leave in the United
States he served as first secre-
tary and Consul at Wellington,
New Zealand, from October, 1916,
to January, 1919; for about two
months in 1949 he served on the
Foreign Service Selection Board
in Washington: and for about
a year as special assistant to the
chief, Foreign Service Personnel,
He was en- route to an assign
ment as Consul General at Cal.
cutta when recalled for the pres
ent hearing.
Charges Based on Reports From
China.
The board considered first the
charges against Mr.. Service which
have to do with his conduct in
China, in particular from 1913
to 1945, while he was stationed
in Chunking, Lanchow and
Yenan.
First, it is alleged that Mr..
Service was disloyal or insubordi-
nate to Gen. Hurley who was in
China from August to November
1914 as personal representative of
the President, and served as Am
'bassador to China from November
1914 until November, 1945. In par
ticular it is charged that Mr..
Services second trip to the Com
munist area in Yenan was in dis
obedience to Ambassador Hurley's S
instructions. His sudden recall to
the United States in March, 1945,
was at the instance of Ambassa-
dor Hurley. who was in the United
States at the time on consultation.
The board finds that at no time
during Gen. Hurley's service in
China, either as the Presidents
personal representative or as Am
bassador, was Mr.. Service at
tached to the Embassy, or subject
to Ambassador Hurley's direction
In August, 1943, Mr.. Service had
been detailed to Gen. Stilwell, and
in July, 1914, sent bv Gen. Still
well with an Army observer mis-