Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, China and Japan, Volume XIV, Part 1

Eisenhower Library, Dulles papers, “Meetings with the President”

No. 456
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State¹

top secret
personal and private

[Washington,] December 22, 1954.

Memorandum of Conversation With the President

[Here follows discussion not pertaining to China.]

3. We talked about the China situation and long-range prospects. I emphasized that, in my opinion, the possibilities of change which would be in the interest of the United States would come from either (a) the traditional tendency of the Chinese to be individualistic or (b) the traditional Chinese dislike of foreigners which was bound in the long run to impair relations with Russia. The President said that, under present conditions, no change of our attitude was possible, but that if the Chinese Communists met certain quite obvious requirements, then the situation might be different.²

[Here follows further discussion not pertaining to China.]

6. The President agreed that Chase should stay on for the time being in Taipei, although not necessarily promoted. He asked me to advise Secretary Wilson accordingly.

JFD

1. Drafted by Dulles and initialed for him by John W. Hanes, Jr., Special Assistant to the Secretary.
2. A notation on the margin of the source text indicates that the paragraph was shown to Bowie on Dec. 27.