Evening star., 1953-09-06
China Lobby Asks
Robertson 10 Push
Purge Of Chang Foes
By the Asseeiated Press

BY the Assoeiated Press
NEW YORK, Sept. 5.-The
today to purge its pro-Commun-
ists-if there are such-who con-
tributed to the downfall of Chi
ang Kai-shek's Chinese Nation
aliSts.
The request came from the
American China Policy Associa-
tion, Inc the so-called China
Lobby, headed by Alfred Kohl
berg, New York importer-which
branded any such foreign serv-
ice officers menace to pending
Korean peace talks.
The association also asked
that any Foreign Service officers
fired or exiled for their stand on
China be brought back to Wash
ington.
The association addressed an
open letter to Walter S. Robert
son, Assistant Secretary of State
for Far Eastern Affairs and once
a bitter critic of American for
eign policy in the Orient. Mr..
Robertson recently made two
trips to Korea to win Syngman
Rhee's support for Korean
truce.
In a hitherto unpublished let
ter, Mr.. Robertson wrote in 1949
that unnamed Foreign Service
officers contributed to the cause
of Chinese Communism by chal-
lenging Amreica's support of
Chang Kai-shek.
The China Policy Association
praised Mr.. Robertson's 1949
memorandum and added in its
open letter:
Your memo refers to the pro-
Communist activities of the For
eign Service officers. You do not
pass judgment on whether their
activities were due to gullibility
or to un-American inclinations.
Robertson Has No Comment.
At his farm near Richmond,
Va, Mr.. Robertson declined COM
ment on the China Policy request.
He said he hadn't seen the letter.
Mr.. Robertson's memo on the
Far East was put on record at
an executive session of a Con-
gressional hearing in Washing
ton. Mr.. Kohlberg said his
attention was called to it by
Representative Judd. Republican.
of Indiana. a member of the
China Policy Association.
Mr.. Kohlberg said he obtained
permission to use it.
Earlier this year, Mr.. Robert
son was selected by the Eisen-
hover administration as assistant
Secretary of State for Far
Eastern affairs.
His memo was addressed to
Philip c. Jessup, then a State
Department ambassador large.
Mr.. Jessup had asked Mr..
Rohertson's appraisal of Com
munist strength in China.
Mr.. Jessup, a bitter target of
Senate Republicans. resigned last
January before the Eisenhower
administration took Office.
Partial Text of Memo.
Mr.. Robertson, in his memo to
Mr.. JesSup dated October 8, 1949,
wrote in part:
Chang Kai-shek has now
been made the official scapegoat
not only for China's sins but for
ours as well. In my opinion
at least, it can be fairly demon
strated that the confused and
confusing inconsistencies of our
vacillating policy, however well
meaning it might have been,
contributed directly and in
directly to the debacle which
engulfed him and his govern
ment, our ally, and brought to
power the Communists, our long
avowed enemies.
g. Officially we were COM
mitted to a policy of eXpediency
which was constantly being chal-
lenged by reports from certain
Foreign Service officers in the
field denouncing the Kuomin-
tang, praising the Communists
and recommending a course of
action directly contrary to the
one we were pursuing -.
Hits Officers Reports.
"All during this time certain
Foreign Service officers were re-
porting the Chinese government
to be corrupt. Intellectual and
totalitarian with one such officer
later going so far as to proclaim
the Communist revolution mod
crate and democratic
Mr.. Robertson's s letter went on
to criticiSe Moscow's seizure of
Manchuria and Americas failure
to grant all-out aid to the Chi
nese NationalistS Immediately
after the war.