269. Memorandum of a Conversation With the President, Washington, June 14, 1955, 10:30 a.m.1
PRESENT
- The Indian Ambassador, Mr. Mehta
- Krishna Menon
- Secretary Dulles
Mr. Menon made clear that he was not acting as the authorized representative of either Communist China or the United States. He was merely trying in a friendly way to prevent a tense situation from becoming worse and developing into war. He reported his talks with Chou En-lai and the attitude toward the Formosa area. He felt that if direct negotiations should begin, then what he referred to as “lesser” problems such as the prisoners could easily be resolved. The President interrupted at this point to emphasize that the problem of the prisoners was not a minor one but involved principles which were very fundamental and which deeply engaged United States sentiment.
There then occurred considerable general discussion between the President, Mr. Menon and myself as to the status of the prisoners and the non-negotiability of their return. The President emphasized that the Armistice Agreement already provided for this and we did not feel we had to negotiate twice for the same result. The President also mentioned the fact that there were several hundred additional persons from our armed forces who were unaccounted for and who might still be prisoners as to whom no information was obtainable. The President also emphasized that all of the Chinese in this country were free to go if they wanted to.
At this point Menon became rather rambling. The President at one point interrupted to say, in relation to Formosa, that the United States was going to be 100% loyal to its obligations; that we were not going to sell anyone into Communist captivity, and that whether our friends were great or small we were equally loyal to our commitments and to our principles. There were some things that we could not negotiate about and still stand upright in the world. Mr. Menon pleaded for “magnanimity”.
It was arranged that I would talk with Mr. Menon further in the afternoon. Mr. Menon said he hoped to be able to see the President again. The President said that if this would serve a useful purpose he was agreeable in principle. However, he pointed out that his schedule [Page 595] would be very full until at least early July. Menon said he would be prepared to wait that long and come back after the San Francisco Conference.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.91/6–1455. Confidential. The time of the meeting is from the President’s appointment diary. (Eisenhower Library, President’s Daily Appointments) The source text is an unsigned carbon copy. A transcript of the President’s remarks during the conversation are Ibid., Whitman File, International Series.↩