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.
301. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1555. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to London for the Ambassador.
302. Telegram From the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Aldrich) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1555. Top Secret; Niact; Eyes Only. Repeated for information to Paris for the Secretary.
303. Memorandum for the File, by the Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat (Barnes)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1555. Top Secret; Eyes Only.
304. Telegram From the Consul General at Geneva (Gowen) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 293.1111/7–1555. Confidential; Niact. Repeated for information to London, Hong Kong, New Delhi, and the U.S. Mission at the United Nations.
305. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1655. Secret.
306. Letter From the Secretary of State to British Foreign Secretary Macmillan
Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 63 D 123, CF 515. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Dulles. The text of the letter was transmitted to London for Aldrich in telegram 10 from Geneva, repeated to Washington for Hoover as Dulte 10, dated July 16. (Ibid., Central Files, 611.93/7–1655)
307. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1755. Top Secret; Niact. Received at 9:10 p.m., July 16.
308. Memorandum of a Conversation Between President Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Eden, Geneva, July 17, 1955
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Secret. The source text, unsigned and dated July 19, bears the heading, “Notes dictated by the President regarding his conversation with Sir Anthony Eden, held Sunday, July 17, in the afternoon. There was no one else present during the talk.” A memorandum of conversation by Dulles, dated July 17, summarizes what the President had told him about the conversation and records a conversation at the same time between Dulles and Macmillan. It is scheduled for publication in the Summit Conference compilation in a forthcoming volume. For Eden’s comments on this conversation and other conversations at Geneva relating to China, see Anthony Eden, Full Circle (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1960), pp. 342–345.
309. Telegram From the Ambassador in India (Cooper) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 703.00/7–1755. Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to Geneva for the Secretary, and to London.
310. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/7–1855. Secret.
311. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1955. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to London eyes only for Aldrich.
312. Outline Plan by the Operations Coordinating Board
Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430. Formosa & GRC, 1955. Top Secret. The source text is filed with a covering memorandum dated July 28 from OCB Executive Officer Elmer B. Staats to the Board, which states that it was revised and concurred in by the Board on July 20, and an introductory page, which states that the purpose of the Outline Plan was to set forth courses of action, responsibilities and timing prepared by the OCB in order to carry out NSC 5503 (Document 12) and that it was intended to serve as guidance for the participating agencies and overseas missions concerned.
313. Memorandum of Conversations, Geneva, July 21, 1955
Source: Department of State Central Files, 793.00/7–2255. Secret. Drafted by Dulles. The conversations took place during and after a dinner given by the Swiss Government for the four delegations at Geneva.
314. Memorandum of a Conversation, Geneva, July 22, 1955, 8:30 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/7–2255. Secret. Drafted by Phleger. Headed “Memorandum of Breakfast Conversation—Sir Anthony Eden’s Villa at Geneva.”
315. Memorandum of a Conversation, Geneva, July 23, 1955, 9:30 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers. Extract. Top Secret. Drafted by Bohlen. The complete text is scheduled for publication in the compilation on the Geneva Conference in a forthcoming volume.
316. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–2355. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to London eyes only for Aldrich.
317. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (McConaughy), and the First Secretary of the British Embassy (Joy), Washington, July 24, 1955
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/7–2455. Top Secret. Drafted by McConaughy.
318. Telegram From the Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Republic of China
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–2455. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted and approved for transmission by McConaughy; cleared in substance with Hoover.
320. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 27, 1955
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Wang–Johnson Talks. Top Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Barbour.
322. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 28, 1955
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–2855. Secret. Drafted by Clough on July 29 and initialed by Robertson, indicating his approval.
323. Letter From the Secretary of State to Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–2955. Confidential. The source text indicates that it was drafted by Dulles and handed to Johnson by Robert G. Barnes, Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat, on July 30. A memorandum of conversation by Johnson, dated July 29, of a meeting that day with the President and the Secretary states that the President approved the draft instructions but records no further discussion relating to China. It is scheduled for publication in the Eastern Europe regional compilation in a forthcoming volume. Ambassador Johnson stated in an interview in 1966 that he read the instructions in draft at the Secretary’s request and added some suggestions, which Dulles approved, and that at his meeting with the President, the latter gave the instructions only “a cursory glance”. Johnson also stated that Secretary Dulles gave him oral instructions to keep the talks going as long as possible and that he “made a particular point of getting the Secretary’s and the President’s approval for taking the forthcoming personal attitude towards the Chinese which I did.” (Transcript of interview with Johnson, May 28, 1966, pp. 21–33; Princeton University Library, John Foster Dulles Oral History Project)