The Taiwan Strait crisis; U.S. concern with the defense of Taiwan and the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan area; the Formosa resolution; efforts to bring the problem before the U.N. Security Council; negotiations leading to the Republic of China’s evacuation of the Tachen Islands with U.S. assistance; diplomatic efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to the crisis; the question of U.S. policy with regard to Quemoy and Matsu; the question of Nationalist response to the growth of Communist air power; the Robertson–Radford mission to Taipei; the U.S. response to Premier Chou En-lai’s proposal of negotiations; diplomatic efforts to obtain the release of American prisoners in the People’s Republic of China; negotiations leading to the establishment of the Ambassadorial talks at Geneva between representatives of the United States and the People’s Republic of China1
1. For previous documentation on this subject, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. xiv, Part 1, pp. 1 ff.
1. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)
Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5429 Series. Top Secret.
2. Memorandum of Discussion at the 230th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, January 5, 1955
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by NSC Deputy Executive Secretary Gleason on January 6.
4. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 7, 1955
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95A241/1–755. Top Secret. Drafted by Robert K. Sherwood of the Executive Secretariat who is not listed among the participants of the meeting. Approved with minor revisions by Secretary Dulles.
5. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, January 10, 1955, 12:05 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Extract. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by the Secretary of State. The time of the meeting is indicated in the President’s appointment diary. (Ibid., President’s Daily Appointments)
6. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Cutler) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–1155. Top Secret. Notes attached to the source text indicate that the memorandum was circulated on January 12 to Under Secretary Hoover, Deputy Under Secretary Murphy, Policy Planning Staff Director Bowie, and Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs Robertson in preparation for a meeting in the Secretary’s office that afternoon.
7. Telegram From the Ambassador in Japan (Allison) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95A241/1–1255. Secret; Priority. According to notes by Phyllis Bernau of a telephone call from Dulles to Lodge on January 12, the Secretary indicated that he was “not keen” about Hammarskjöld’s proposal to come to Washington and that an official visit “would make trouble and would give the impression he was the intermediary between the Sec. and the Pres. and Chou”; they agreed that Lodge should see Hammarskjöld first and then confer with the Secretary. (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations)
8. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 12, 1955
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/1–1255. Secret. Drafted by McConaughy, Director of the Office of Chinese Affairs. Initialed by Robertson, indicating his approval. A note attached to the source text indicates that it was sent to the Secretary at Robertson’s suggestion and that it was seen by the Secretary. Ambassador Koo’s record of this conversation, along with his records of other conversations with U.S. officials during 1955, are in the Wellington Koo Papers, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University, Box 195.
9. Memorandum of Discussion at the 231st Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, January 13, 1955
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on January 14.
10. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–1355. Top Secret; Priority.
11. Telegram From the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95A241/1–1355. Top Secret; Niact; Limited Distribution.
12. National Security Council Report
Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5503 Series. Top Secret.
13. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, The White House Residence, January 17, 1955, 5–6 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles.
14. Telegram From the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95A241/1–1755. Top Secret; Priority; limited Distribution.
15. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, January 18, 1955, 10:06 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Apparently prepared by the President’s personal secretary, Ann Whitman. The conversation is also recorded in notes of the same date prepared by Phyllis Bernau. (Ibid., Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations)
16. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, January 19, 1955, 12:45 p.m.
Source: Department of State, ROC Files: Lot 71 D 517, 1954–1955, Offshore Islands. Top Secret; Limited Distribution. Drafted by McConaughy and initialed by Robertson, indicating his approval. A memorandum of January 24 from Dulles to Robertson reads:
“You will recall that I had two meetings with George Yeh on Wednesday, January 19, the day I lunched with the President. I first saw him in the morning, and he spoke to me about possible help in evacuating forces in the Tachen Islands. Later in the day after lunching with the President, I outlined in the rough what we might be prepared to do.
“I am very anxious that the memorandum of the first conversation should show that it was he who first brought up the question of the evacuation of the Tachens and not I. This may be important later on if the Chinats should claim it was we who forced evacuation upon them. JFD” (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Memoranda)
17. Memorandum of a Conversation, The White House, January 19, 1955, 1:15 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Top Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles on January 20. The time of the meeting is from Dulles’ appointment diary. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)
18. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 19, 1955, 3:15 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–1955. Top Secret. Drafted by Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Merchant.
19. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 19, 1955, 3:45 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–1955. Top Secret. Drafted by McConaughy.
20. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 19, 1955, 4:45 p.m.
Source: Department of State, PPS Files: Lot 66 D 70, China. Top Secret. Drafted by Cutler. According to Dulles’ appointment diary, the participants arrived and departed at varying times, and the conference was apparently interrupted when the Secretary met with Senator Knowland at 4:58 p.m. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)
21. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–1955. Secret; Priority. Passed by the Department to CINCPAC at Rankin’s request; also passed to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
22. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 20, 1955, 9 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Memoranda. Secret; Personal and Private. Prepared in the Department of State.
Thruston B. Morton was Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations.
Members of the Senate are identified as follows: Alexander Wiley of Wisconsin, ranking minority member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Harry Flood Byrd of Virginia, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Richard B. Russell of Georgia, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Leverett Saltonstall of Massachusetts, Senate Minority Whip and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Earle C. Clements of Kentucky, Senate Majority Whip.
Members of the House of Representatives are identified as follows: James P. Richards of South Carolina, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Robert B. Chiperfield of Illinois, ranking minority member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Leslie C. Arends of Illinois, Minority Whip and member of the House Armed Services Committee; Dewey Short of Missouri, ranking minority member of the House Armed Services Committee; John W. McCormack of Massachusetts, House Majority Leader; Sam Rayburn of Texas, Speaker of the House; Joseph W. Martin, Jr., of Massachusetts, House Minority Leader; Carl Vinson of Georgia, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
23. Memorandum of Discussion at the 232d Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, January 20, 1955
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason, except for the portion concerning agenda item 1, on January 21. According to the President’s appointment diary, the meeting took place at 10 a.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Appointments)
24. Draft Message From the President to the Congress
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2055. Top Secret. Sent to the President with a covering note of January 20 from Secretary Dulles, which reads as follows: “Here is a draft of possible message such as it was agreed I should try to make. I have put this together in the face of considerable interruptions, and no doubt it can be improved by me and others. Perhaps, it is adequate at the moment to illustrate the kind of thing we have in mind.” A postscript adds: “I am not sure about the June 30, 1956 date.” The source text, labeled copy 3, January 20, 1955, bears the notation “as sent to President”.
25. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 20, 1955, 6:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/8–2958. Top Secret. Drafted by Assistant Secretary Merchant and revised by Dulles. Filed with a memorandum of August 29, 1958, from Fisher Howe, Director of the Executive Secretariat, to the Acting Secretary.
26. Memorandum of Discussion at the 233d Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, January 21, 1955, 9 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on January 24. The time of the meeting is from Eisenhower’s appointment diary. (Ibid., President’s Daily Appointments)
27. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 21, 1955, 10:30 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2155. Top Secret. Drafted by Merchant. Nonsubstantive revisions in Secretary Dulles’ handwriting appear on the source text.
28. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 21, 1955, 11:45 a.m.
Source: Department of State, ROC Files: Lot 71 D 517, 1954–1955, Offshore Islands. Top Secret. Drafted by Martin initialed by Robertson, indicating his approval.
29. Memorandum of a Conversation, The White House, Washington, January 21, 1955, 4 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Administration Series. Top Secret. Drafted by Ann C. Whitman, the President’s personal secretary.
30. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 22, 1955
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/1–2255. Top Secret. Drafted by McConaughy and initialed by Robertson, indicating his approval.