Office of the Historian

195. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Gray)1

[Washington,] July 23, 1956.

Dear Gordon: I refer to your letter of July 10, 1956,2 informing me of plans to deploy the 17th tactical Squadron (Matador) to Japan during the third quarter Fiscal Year 1957 and also to rotate a flight of this squadron to Taiwan on a TDY basis. The views of the Department of State as to the advisability of these scheduled deployments from a political standpoint are requested.

With respect to Japan, you state that nuclear components would not accompany the deployment of a Matador squadron.… In view of the extreme Japanese sensitivity to the introduction of any new weapon having a nuclear potential, however, and the increased desire of the Japanese for prior consultation on any United States plans or programs which might arouse public opposition, I believe it is essential that we consult with appropriate officials of the Japanese Government before implementing plans for the deployment of a Matador squadron to Japan. If you concur, I suggest that we send a joint message to Tokyo requesting Ambassador Allison and General Lemnitner to discuss this matter with senior officials of the Japanese Government in order to elicit their reactions. The number of such officials, of course, would be kept to an absolute minimum.

With reference to the possible rotation of a Matador flight … I believe that on balance this would have a favorable political effect. Apart from enhancing the defensive capabilities of the Republic of China and giving a timely boost to morale on Taiwan, such deployment would serve as a reminder to other nations that the United States is determined to stand by its commitments to the Government of the Republic of China. This would hearten our Asian Allies in their resistance to Communist expansion and would aid in the achievement of our policy objectives in the area. From the standpoint of policy, therefore, we strongly favor this contemplated rotation of a Matador flight to Taiwan, whether from Japan or from Okinawa, and we should be prepared to enter into negotiations with the Government of the Republic of China to implement it whenever required. We consider that the advantages to the GRC of this arrangement would outweigh any reluctance that government might feel toward [Page 407] an increase of two or three hundred in the American population of Taiwan.3

Sincerely yours,

Walter S. Robertson4
  1. Source: Department of State, CA Files: Lot 67 D 579, Matador Project, 1956. Top Secret. Drafted by Clough and Comiskey of CA and Pfeiffer of NA.↩
  2. Not found.↩
  3. In an August 14 letter to Robertson, Perkins McGuire, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, concurred in the proposals outlined in this letter. (Department of State, ROC Files: Lot 67 D 579, Matador Project)↩
  4. Printed from a carbon copy which bears this typed signature.↩