August–October 1958, the Taiwan Strait Crisis: The Decision for U.S. Naval Escort of Nationalist Vessels; Resumption of Ambassadorial Talks at Warsaw; Diplomatic Efforts to Reduce Tensions; Secretary of State Dulles’ Visit to Taiwan and the Joint Communiqué of October 23, 1958
41. Memorandum From Secretary of State Dulles to Acting Secretary of State Herter and the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)
Source: Department of State, ROC Files: Lot 71 D 517, Offshore Islands (Misc), July 19–Aug. 31, 1958. Secret. At a meeting on August 24, Herter referred to this memorandum as the “message dictated on the plane.” (Memorandum of meeting dated August 25; ibid., Central Files, 793.00/8–2558) Dulles flew to Watertown, N.Y., on August 23 on his way to a week-long vacation cruise on Lake Ontario.
42. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–2458. Top Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Transmitted in two sections.
43. Memorandum of Meeting
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–2558. Top Secret. Apparently drafted by Parsons. The time of the meeting is taken from the President’s appointment diary. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File) Goodpaster’s memorandum of the meeting, August 29, is ibid., DDE Diaries; see Supplement.
44. Telegram From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt)
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Records, 381 Formosa (11–8–48), Section 37. Top Secret; Operational Immediate. Also sent to COMTAIWANDEFCOM(US) and repeated to CINCAL, CINCLANT, CINCARIB, CINCONAD, USCINCEUR, CINCNELM, CINCSAC, COMUSFJ, COMTAC, USNMR, HICOMRY, COMUSKOREA, CINCSPECOMME. A copy is in Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/8–2558.
45. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–2658. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Received at 12:07 p.m. Passed to CINCPAC.
46. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Records, 381 Formosa (11–8–48), Section 37. Top Secret; Operational Immediate. Repeated to CNO, CINCPACAF, CINCUSARPAC, CINCPACFLT, and COMTAIWANDEFCOM(US). Received on August 26 at 2:25 p.m. A copy is in Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/8–2658.
47. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR–NIE Files. Secret. A note on the cover sheet reads in part as follows:
“Submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence.
“The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and The Joint Staff.
“Concurred in by the Intelligence Advisory Committee on 26 August 1958.”
48. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–2758. Top Secret; Niact; Presidential Handling. Transmitted in two sections. Received at 9:50 a.m.
50. Memorandum for the Files
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–2758. Top Secret. Drafted by Lutkins and cleared in draft by Parsons. The documents cited in footnotes 2 and 3 below are in the Supplement.
51. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–2858. Top Secret. Drafted by Lutkins and approved by John A. Calhoun, Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat.
52. Memorandum of Meeting
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–2958. Top Secret. Drafted by Parsons. The time of the meeting is taken from Goodpaster’s memorandum, August 29. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries; see Supplement)
53. Telegram From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt)
Source: Department of State, ROC Files: Lot 71 D 517, Offshore Islands (Telegrams), May 26–Sept. 4, 1958. Top Secret; Operational Immediate; Noforn. Also sent to COMTAIWANDEFCOM(US). Repeated to CINCAL, CINCLANT, CINCARIB, CINCONAD, USCINCEUR, CINCNELM, CINCSAC, COMUSFJ, COMTAC, USNMR, HICOMRY, COMUSKOREA, CINCSPECOMME.
54. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Lutkins on September 2 and approved by Herter on September 16.
55. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–3158. Top Secret; Niact; No Distribution Outside Department. Repeated to Tokyo.
56. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–3158. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution.
57. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Records, 381 Formosa (11–8–48), Section 38. Top Secret; Operational Immediate. Repeated to CNO, CINCPACFLT, CINCUSARPAC, CINCPACAF, and COMUSTDC. A copy is in Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–3158. The documents cited in footnotes 1 and 2 are in the Supplement.
58. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/9–158. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Received at 2:50 a.m. Repeated niact to CINCPAC.
59. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/9–158. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Received at 3:16 a.m. Repeated to CINCPAC.
60. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between President Eisenhower and Secretary of State Dulles
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Secret; Personal and Private. The President was in Newport, Rhode Island; the Secretary had returned that day to Washington.
61. Telegram From the Commander, U.S. Taiwan Defense Command (Smoot) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt)
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Records, 381 Formosa (11–8–48) Section 38. Top Secret; Operational Immediate. Repeated to CNO and COMSEVENTHFLT. Received at the Department of the Navy at 12:53 a.m. A copy is in Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/9–258.
62. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/9–258. Top Secret. Drafted by Lutkins and approved by Marshall Green and Joseph N. Greene, Jr., all of whom were apparently also present. The time of the meeting is taken from Dulles’ appointment book. (Princeton University, Dulles Papers)
63. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning (Smith) to Secretary of State Dulles
Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 67 D 548, China. Top Secret. A notation on the source text reads: “Sec saw.”
64. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/9–358. Top Secret. Drafted in S/S. The conversation was held in Secretary Dulles’ office.
65. Memorandum From the Commander, U.S. Taiwan Defense Command (Smoot) to the Chief of General Staff, Republic of China (Wang)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Taipei Embassy Files: FRC 68 A 5159, Lot 62 F 83. Top Secret; Noforn Except GRC.
66. Memorandum of Conference With President Eisenhower
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. No classification marking. Prepared by Goodpaster. Dulles’ memorandum of the conversation is ibid., Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President; see Supplement.
67. Memorandum Prepared by Secretary of State Dulles
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Top Secret. The source text incorporates revisions made by the President at the meeting recorded in Document 66. A draft dated September 3 with the President’s handwritten revisions is in the Eisenhower Library, Miscellaneous Series, Formosa; see Supplement.
68. White House Press Release
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. No classification marking. Also printed in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1958, pp. 687–689. Secretary Dulles read the statement at a news conference at 12:22 p.m. and then answered questions on a background basis. A transcript of the news conference is. filed with the source text; see Supplement.
69. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to Prime Minister Macmillan
Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Top Secret. Drafted by Dulles and cleared with the President by telephone and with Elbrick and Robertson. According to a note on the source text, Dulles handed the letter to the British Minister at 6:05 p.m. on September 4.
70. Message From Prime Minister Macmillan to Secretary of State Dulles
Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Top Secret. Enclosed with a note of September 5 from Hood to Dulles.