794A.00/11–1550
The Secretary of Defense (Marshall) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: With reference to your letter of 11 November 1950 concerning the question of Formosa in the United Nations and enclosing a draft resolution, the Department of Defense appreciates your consideration in making available to it the draft resolution and the views of the Department of State in this matter.
[Page 574]In view of the military implications of this problem, and particularly the points raised in the last paragraph of your letter, the letter and the draft resolution have been referred to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for their views and recommendations, as a matter of priority. For the same reason, the Department of Defense intends to reply in substance to your letter, before, it is hoped, a United States position has been officially taken on this matter or a draft United States resolution introduced in the United Nations. Therefore, the Department of Defense requests that such action be deferred until the views of this Department are available.1
In this connection, the Department of Defense believes that it may be timely and appropriate for the National Security Council now to review the current position of the United States with respect to Formosa. Accordingly, the Department of Defense, for its part, is considering such action in view of the serious military implications involved in the consideration of the status of Formosa in the light of present conditions in the Far East.
Faithfully yours,
- See footnote 2 to telegram Delga 290, November 15, from New York, supra.↩