Office of the Historian

195. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 8, 1955, 2:35 p.m.1

Washington, April 8, 1955, 2:35 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Asian-African Conference

PARTICIPANTS

  • The Secretary of State
  • General Carlos P. Romulo2
  • Mr. Niles Bond, UNP
  • Mr. James D. Bell, PSA

The Secretary complimented General Romulo on the fine opening statement which the General plans to make at the Bandung Conference (General Romulo had read this statement to Ambassador Lacy,3 Mr. MacArthur and Mr. Bond on April 7.)4 The Secretary observed that the Bandung meeting might be very dangerous to which General Romulo agreed.

The Secretary stated that he believed it possible that the Chinese Communist decision as to whether they should attack Quemoy, Matsu and Taiwan might depend on the attitude which they found among the powers meeting at the Bandung Conference. If this is the case a resolution deploring the use of force in the Taiwan Strait area and urging a cease-fire might deter an over [overt] attack. The Secretary gave General Romulo a short draft resolution (copy attached)5 which might be considered at the Bandung Conference. General Romulo after reading it said he thought it was fine and indicated that he would make use of it at the Bandung meeting.

The Secretary pointed out that the Chinese Communists have publicly and at great length announced their intention of attacking Taiwan. He stated that if the Communists were to refrain from such announcements and were to announce they had no intention of attacking Taiwan, at the same time agreeing to a cessation of all hostilities, our position with respect to Quemoy and Matsu would be subject to change.

The Secretary stated that the Chinese Communists have an exceptionally poor claim to Taiwan which has not been controlled by Mainland China for 60 years. He pointed out that the Japanese Peace Treaty provided only that the Japanese relinquish Taiwan. He said that at Cairo it was agreed that Taiwan would go to Chiang Kai-shek’s government which was then and is the “Republic of China”.

The Secretary gave General Romulo a statement reviewing the development of U.S. policy toward Taiwan with 43 documentary attachments.6

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 670.901/4–1455. Confidential. Drafted by Bell on April 14. The time of the meeting is from Dulles’ appointment diary. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)↩
  2. General Romulo, President Magsaysay’s personal representative in the United States, was to represent the Philippines at the Bandung Conference.↩
  3. William S.B. Lacy, appointed Ambassador to Korea and former Counselor in Manila.↩
  4. No record of the conversation has been found in Department of State files.↩

  5. The attached draft resolution reads as follows:

    “Considering that the occurrence of armed hostilities in the area of the Formosa Strait has created a situation the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security;

    “Calls upon the parties concerned to renounce forthwith the use of force or the threat of force as a means of securing their stated rights and interests.”

    ↩
  6. Reference is apparently to a document entitled “Materials Relating to Taiwan (Formosa)”, dated April 7, 1955, which included an account of U.S. policy with regard to Taiwan from 1950 through 1955, a discussion of the status of Taiwan, and 43 annexes, consisting of treaties, public statements, and U.N. documents. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/4–755)↩