254. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, May 24, 1957, 8:35 a.m.1
Secy. Dulles. The incident in Formosa, following acquittal of the man involved in shooting. This morning our Embassy is completely wrecked, crowds are demonstrating in the streets against us. Perhaps he should be turned over to Japan as the Defense Dept. originally agreed to do.2
The President said actually this is not a case that should be turned over to Japan. It was only under protest that Defense instructed their people to turn him over.
Secy. Dulles said no—that there is a provision in the administrative agreement which says that if they cannot agree, and if each side claims jurisdiction, then at the request of the other, one will consider waiving jurisdiction in favor of the other.
The President said American forces will not let one of their people be tried in foreign court if they can help it. (We are up against the same thing here at home, too.) The rule has to do with people not on duty, but on leave or away from situation—same as other tourists. But regardless of the wording of the treaty, we are in trouble here.
[Page 528]Secy. Dulles feels that he and Defense should talk it over with the President. The situation is serious. These developments in Taipei are going to have a chain reaction also in Japan. The issues at stake are tremendous. The President is well aware of this, and said he is now afraid of our status of forces in Europe and everywhere else.
The President thinks our man in Taipei did not have much sense, chasing someone for a long time, then finally shooting. Dulles agreed, and said he does not understand how he got acquitted. He thinks probably the story told to the Congressmen was an inaccurate portrayal—the man was actually on duty.
The President thinks we must have a very serious look at these Asiatic countries, and decide whether we can stay there. It does not seem wise, if they hate us so much.
[Here follow notes on other telephone conversations involving the President on May 24.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Prepared in the Office of the President. Another version of this telephone conversation, transcribed by Phyllis D. Bernau, is scheduled for inclusion in the Japan compilation in a forthcoming volume.↩
- References to Japan apparently relate to a similar status of forces problem in Japan growing out of the Girard case, documentation on which is scheduled for publication in the Japan compilation in a forthcoming volume.↩