Office of the Historian

136. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to President Eisenhower0

New York, September 27, 1958.

Dear Mr. President: I spoke with Jack McCloy about going to Taipei1 and after thinking about it for twenty-four hours he brought me the enclosed memorandum2 which I think will interest you.

With reference to the second paragraph,3 I explained to Jack that as far as concessions respecting Quemoy and Matsu were concerned the limiting factor was not our views but the views of Chiang and how much we could bring him to accept without the reaction which would collapse the situation on Formosa. This, however, did not change his views on the basic question of his going.

Faithfully yours,

Foster
  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Secret.↩
  2. John J. McCloy was Chairman of the Board of the Chase Manhattan Bank. According to unsigned notes made in the White House of a September 26 telephone conversation between the President and the Secretary, Dulles told the President that he had talked to McCloy the previous evening about the Quemoy–Matsu situation and “was going to put up to Mr. McCloy idea that he go along with Secretary McElroy on his trip to Formosa and try to talk Chiang into giving up the Islands.” (Ibid., DDE Diaries)↩
  3. The memorandum from McCloy to Dulles, September 27, stated that he felt he could not undertake the mission for several reasons. (Ibid., Dulles-Herter Series; see Supplement)↩

  4. The second numbered paragraph reads:

    “Second: I really fear that my inclinations would go further in the way of concessions respecting Quemoy and Matsu than the Department or you feel it is wise to go. Under these circumstances I feel I would be a poor emissary. Moreover, I do not really know yet how far you want him to go in view of the somewhat uneasy position he holds on Taiwan.”

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