693.002/12–349: Telegram
The Consul General at Taipei (Macdonald) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 3—2:26 a. m.]
766. Point brought out by L. K. Little of China Customs with ECA Nason believed worthy of relay is: Announced US policy is to resist communism at Chinese borders; regardless of opinion elsewhere Far Eastern peoples consider Taiwan outside China; therefore, if US allows Communist take over Taiwan doubt will develop in Japanese and Southeast Asian minds as to sincerity US pronouncement and advisability their own resistance. In addition many in same areas consider US has special responsibility for Taiwan through its military liberation of island, Yalta and Cairo Declarations,59 and dominant position rest Japanese Empire. Concluding, Little said, of course, nothing constructive possible while Generalissimo still around.
This office unable comment on Japanese or Southeast Asian thinking but above does reflect general Taiwanese opinion.
Little believes sufficient qualified Chinese here willing and able to insure good administration if given opportunity. Criticized Governor Chen Cheng for unthought-out decisions and insistence on personally [Page 434] determining most minor procedures without consultation with administering officials.
Sent Department 766; repeated Manila. Department please pass Tokyo, Saigon, Bangkok, Rangoon.
- For Cairo Declaration of December 1, 1943, see Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943, p. 448. No declaration regarding Taiwan was issued at the Yalta Conference, February 4–11, 1945. For correspondence on the Conference, see ibid., The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945.↩