205. Editorial Note
Presidential Press Secretary James Hagerty’s diary entry for April 12–20, a period which the President spent in Augusta, Georgia, states that Admiral Felix B. Stump, Commander in Chief, Pacific, who was in Washington briefly for consultations, met with the President on April 16. Hagerty’s diary entry reads in part as follows:
“Stump flew down to Augusta, arriving at the airport at 8:00 A.M. Draper and I met him and brought him to the National, arriving there at 8:30. The President and Stump had a private conversation for one hour. It mainly dealt with the build-up which the Chinese Communists are conducting on the Mainland opposite Quemoy and Matsu. Aerial reconnaissance has shown that the Communists are moving in fighter aircraft, including jets and moving some of their bases. Neither Stump nor the President believe that an attack is directly imminent, although the Chinese Corns are increasing their potential.” (Eisenhower Library, Hagerty Papers)