174. Editorial Note
Presidential Press Secretary James Hagerty’s diary entry for Monday, March 28, records that he discussed with President Eisenhower that morning “the rash of stories which broke out in the press and on radio and television over the weekend to the effect that the Chinese Reds would invade Matsu Island by April 15th and would invade Quemoy within a month after that”, stories which, Hagerty stated, had originated with Admiral Carney. He told the President that he was meeting that evening with a group of newsmen and would undoubtedly be asked about the story. His diary entry continues as follows:
“When I was talking to the President, he took off his glasses and characteristically chewed on the end of the earpiece. When I finished, he said, ‘I couldn’t agree with you more. Are you sure that this came from Carney?’ I told him that I was and that I had been so informed by several of my newsmen friends in Washington. He then exploded, got up from his desk and walked around the room. As he walked, he talked rapidly and forcefully and said: ‘By God, this has got to stop. These fellows like Carney and Ridgway don’t yet realize that their services have been integrated and that they have, in addition to myself, a boss in Admiral Radford who is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They are giving just their own service’s viewpoint and presenting it as the entire Administration viewpoint. I’m going to see Radford in half an hour, and I’m going to tell him to tell Carney to stop talking. I’m also going to see Charlie Wilson at 11:00 and I’m going to tell him the same thing.’ The President then said, ‘I think that you should tell the reporters you are meeting with tonight the following: Of course, there is always a danger in the Far East. [Page 409] The Chinese Reds are fanatical Communists and have publicly stated that they are going to try to take Formosa. But we are trying to keep the peace. We are not looking for war and I think the stories like the ones they get from Carney, when published, are a great disservice to the United States. They’re going to look awful silly when April 15th comes along and there is no incident, because honestly our information is that there is no build-up off those islands as yet to sustain any attack, and believe me, they’re not going to take those islands just by wishing for them. They are well-equipped and well-defended and they can only be taken, if at all, by a prolonged all-out attack. I would also tell them that you are not normally a betting man, but if any of them wanted to bet a thousand dollars that we would be in war on any of the dates they wrote about, you would be happy to bet them.’ I interrupted laughingly to say, ‘If you’ll let me say a hundred dollars, I’ll do it.’ He said O.K.”
According to Hagerty’s diary entry, the President discussed the subject with Admiral Radford and Secretary Wilson that morning. Hagerty’s diary entry for the following day states that his discussion with the newsmen the previous evening was reflected accurately in articles in the New York Times and the Washington Post that morning and that the President told him “he had read them and thought they did the job that was necessary.” (Eisenhower Library, Hagerty Papers)
For the President’s comments at his press conference on March 30 in response to questions concerning Admiral Carney’s remarks and Hagerty’s session with the newsmen, see the transcript of the press conference in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1955, pages 368–381.