88. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Poland 0
272. For Ambassador Beam. Deptel 264 (repeated information Taipei 221)1 has been revised as follows:
Keynote of your presentation at first substantive meeting with Ambassador Wang should be that world opinion demands immediate effective measures be taken prevent present crisis in Taiwan Straits plunging Far East if not the world into war and to avert further crises arising; therefore it is imperative that first order of business in this 74th meeting of Ambassadorial talks be “cessation of hostilities in Taiwan Straits area.”2 (Avoid implication of acceptance on our own or GRC’s behalf of responsibility for critical situation in area.) Following effective implementation of informal cease-fire (which can be carried out without any party being asked to renounce its territorial ambitions), we would then wish turn to questions of terminating provocative activities and of easing tensions in Straits. You should also refer to long record of frustrating meetings previously held at Geneva, to fact we continue deplore Peiping’s persistence in dishonoring written pledge given by Wang three years ago to allow all Americans on mainland expeditiously to exercise right of return to US. You should urge strongly that the four remaining imprisoned Americans be released.
FYI: Situation in Taiwan Straits extremely serious due effective Communist interdiction GRC efforts resupply Quemoy. Unless cessation hostilities can be achieved in relatively short time U.S. may be forced into position having to give some kind of ultimatum to Communists if loss of islands is to be avoided. Therefore primary emphasis should be placed upon cessation hostilities.
Within above context FYI section reftel remains valid. End FYI.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/9–1358. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Robertson and Martin, cleared by Green, and approved by Martin. Repeated priority to Taipei.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 87.↩
- Secto 2 from USUN, September 14, informed Beam that the use of quotation marks for this phrase in this telegram and telegram 264 to Warsaw was not intended to indicate that this was precise wording to which he should adhere. It stated that the Department was concerned with “the substance and not the exact phraseology used to describe it.” (Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/9–1458)↩