Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, China, Volume II

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.

211. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Sebald) to the Acting Secretary of State

Washington, April 21, 1955.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/4–2155. Secret. Initialed by Hoover.

212. Message From the Acting Secretary of State to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Radford), at Taipei

Washington, April 22, 1955—3:43 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Operational Immediate. Transmitted in telegram 222043Z from CNO to Chief MAAG, Formosa. A memorandum of April 23 from Hoover to Dulles, not sent, records the origin of this message. It states that on April 21 the President discussed with Hoover the instructions given to Robertson and Radford and dictated a message, attached to Hoover’s memorandum, labeled “President’s 1st Draft” and dated April 21. It reads as follows:

“The President wants me to reiterate that your mission is to induce the Generalissimo to propose some solution to the Formosa-Quemoy-Matsu problem that will be acceptable both to him and to us. Beyond doubt he recognizes that a strong and favorable American public opinion is necessary to his continuing existence and success. While the point could be made on your own initiative that the participation by the United States in conflict merely to save the offshore islands would cause a serious damage, if not a loss, of American public opinion, it is highly desirable that we avoid the position of urging upon him a solution in which he himself does not believe. The President agreed to the general purport of the paper that Secretary Dulles gave to you before your departure but he, the President, goes back to the proposition that politically and psychologically, we should lead the Generalissimo into making a proposition that will neither commit the United States to war in defense of the offshore islands nor will constitute an implied repudiation of the Generalissimo by this government.

“These are the reasons that the President has so much favored an outpost conception for the offshore islands, highly organized and well supported by Chiang’s main forces and with assurances to him of the additional American help, as well as other general commitments, that you already know about.

“Under no circumstances should there be allowed to develop an atmosphere which would preclude further conversations and negotiations.”

“The Secretary’s message will emphasize the need for sympathetic understanding in dealing with Chiang.”

Hoover’s memorandum states that he thought that “there were so many inconsistencies between this message and the instructions which had been given to Robertson and Radford, that it would be impossible for them to carry out their mission without an entirely new approach.” He and Deputy Secretary of Defense Anderson redrafted the message and gave it to the President, who made further revisions in it. This draft, as revised by the President, is also attached to Hoover’s memorandum, labeled “2nd draft” and dated April 22. Hoover, Murphy, and Phleger made additional revisions in this draft, and Hoover cleared the final message with the President. (Ibid.) A copy of the Hoover–Anderson draft is in Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series.

213. Memorandum of a Conversation With the President, Washington, April 22, 1955, 4:25 p.m.

Washington, April 22, 1955, 4:25 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Miscellaneous Series, Conferences on Formosa. Top Secret. Drafted and initialed by Goodpaster.

214. Message From the Chief of Naval Operations (Carney) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Radford)

Washington, April 22, 1955—6:29 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Exclusive; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Carney; transmitted in telegram 222329Z from CNO to Chief MAAG Formosa. An April 23 memorandum from Hoover to Secretary Dulles states that Carney read the draft message to the President at a meeting at the White House, apparently the meeting recorded in the memorandum, supra. (Ibid.)

215. Message From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Anderson) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Radford)

Washington, April 22, 1955—6:59 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Priority. Transmitted in telegram 222359Z from CNO to Chief MAAG Formosa. The source text indicates Brucker as the drafter, but Hoover’s April 23 memorandum to Dulles, cited in footnote 1, supra, states:

“In view of the President’s active interest in the Formosa situation during the past few days, I took the message to the White House for his clearance. The President made some changes after a good deal of discussion, and they were indicated on the draft in his own handwriting. It was transmitted in the form which he approved.”

The draft with the President’s handwritten revisions has not been found. The discussion to which Hoover referred apparently took place at the meeting recorded in Document 213.

216. Telegram From the Ambassador in Indonesia (Cumming) to the Department of State

Jakarta, April 23, 1955—10 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/4–2355. Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to Taipei for Robertson.

217. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Sebald) to the Secretary of State

Washington, April 25, 1955.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 670.901/4–2555. Top Secret.

218. Message From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State

Taipei, April 25, 1955—11:15 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Operational Immediate. Transmitted in telegram 250315Z from Chief MAAG Formosa to CNO. Received at the Department of Defense at 12:15 a.m.

219. Message From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State

Taipei, April 25, 1955.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Emergency. The source text is a copy made at the direction of the Secretary of a message in four parts from Robertson to Dulles, transmitted in telegrams 250905Z, 251010Z, 251201Z, and 252315Z from Chief MAAG Formosa to CNO, all dated April 25. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Series)

The four telegrams were transmitted between 5:05 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. and received at the Department of Defense between 6:22 a.m. and 10:38 a.m.

220. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, April 25, 1955, 5:15 p.m.

Washington, April 25, 1955, 5:15 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles.

221. Telegram From the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Aldrich) to the Department of State

London, April 25, 1955—11 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95A241/4–2555. Secret. Received at 4:42 p.m. Repeated for information to New York.

222. Editorial Note

223. Message From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State

Taipei, April 26, 1955—9 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Emergency. Transmitted in telegram 261300Z from Chief MAAG Formosa to CNO. Received at the Department of Defense at 9:45 a.m.

224. Message From the Secretary of State to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson), at Taipei

Washington, April 26, 1955—2:12 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Emergency. Drafted by Dulles. Transmitted in telegram 261912Z from CNO to Chief MAAG Formosa.

225. Letter From the President to the Secretary of State

Washington, April 26, 1955.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Correspondence with the President. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Personal and Private. The source text bears a handwritten notation by Phyllis Bernau that it was seen by the Secretary.

226. Message From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State

Taipei, 27 April 1955—11 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Operational Immediate. Transmitted in telegram 270300Z from Chief MAAG Formosa to CNO. Received at the Department of Defense at 2:15 a.m.

227. Telegram From the Ambassador in Indonesia (Cumming) to the Department of State

Jakarta, April 27, 1955—5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/4–2755. Secret; Priority. Repeated for information to Taipei and Bangkok.

228. Memorandum of a Conversation, Washington, April 27, 1955, 6 p.m.

Washington, April 27, 1955, 6 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversation. Top Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles on April 28.

229. Message From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State

Honolulu, April 27, 1955—6:01 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5800/4–2155. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Operational Immediate. Transmitted in telegram 280401Z from CINCPAC to CNO. Received at the Department of Defense at 12:15 a.m. on April 28.

230. Memorandum for the Record, by the Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin)

Taipei, April 29, 1955.

Source: Department of State, Taipei Embassy Files: Lot 62 F 83. Top Secret. Rankin sent a copy to Robertson as an enclosure to a letter of May 5. (Ibid.)

231. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy) to the Secretary of State

Washington, April 29, 1955.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/4–2955. Top Secret. Also sent to Hoover. A handwritten notation by Phyllis Bernau on the source text indicates that it was seen by the Secretary. Another notation in an unidentified handwriting states that the Secretary made no decision.

232. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Pakistan

Washington, April 30, 1955—3:51 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/4–2655. Secret. Repeated for information to Jakarta, New Delhi, and Taipei. Drafted in CA, cleared with the addition of the last sentence in NEA, and approved in FE.

233. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Australia

Washington, April 30, 1955—4:27 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/4–3055. Secret. Drafted in BNA and cleared in EUR and FE. Approved and signed by Dulles. Repeated for information to London.

234. Telegram From the Ambassador in India (Cooper) to the Department of State

New Delhi, May 1, 1955—3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/5–155. Secret; Priority.

235. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, May 3, 1955

Washington, May 3, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/5–155. Secret. Drafted by Elbrick.

236. Memorandum of a Conversation, Taipei, May 4, 1955

Taipei, May 4, 1955

Source: Department of State, Taipei Embassy Files: Lot 62 F 83. Top Secret. Rankin sent a copy to Robertson as an enclosure to his letter of May 5, cited in footnote 1, Document 230.

237. Telegram From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Radford) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Stump)

Washington, May 4, 1955—5:31 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Miscellaneous Series, Formosa Area. Top Secret; Priority. A copy is also filed with Robertson’s April 27 memorandum to Dulles; see footnote 1, Document 210.

The source text is filed with a covering note of May 4 to Goodpaster from Colonel Leroy H. Watson, USAF, Executive Officer to the JCS Chairman, asking Goodpaster to tell the President that the message had been sent to Stump as the President had directed and asking Goodpaster to let him know if the President desired that any changes in the message should be communicated to Stump. A handwritten notation by Goodpaster, May 5, states, “President indicated this was generally OK. G”