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  4. Document 137

137. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, September 28, 1958.

SUBJECT

  • Ta-tan and Erh-tan Islands

PARTICIPANTS

  • Dr. George K.C. Yeh, Chinese Ambassador
  • Mr. S.C. Hsu, Chinese Minister
  • Mr. Robertson, Assistant Secretary, FE
  • Mr. Martin, Director, CA

During the course of a conversation with Amb. Yeh on another subject, the question of Ta-tan and Ehr-tan islands came up. Mr. Robertson recalled1 seeing a report that Pres. Chiang desired to put the defense of Ta-tan and Erh-tan in the same category as the defense of Big and Little Quemoy. Mr. Robertson emphasized that this would be a great mistake. The people of the U.S. could not possibly support U.S. involvement in the defense of these two tiny and exposed positions.

Amb. Yeh said that he fully agreed. In fact he had already recommended that his government abandon these islands and blow them up. Amb. Yeh felt that it would be a good thing to expand the “no man’s land” between Communist and Nationalist positions.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/9–2858. Top Secret. Drafted by Martin.↩
  2. Robertson had called on Yeh to inform him of the instructions which were to be sent to Beam for the next Warsaw meeting (see Documents 138 ff.); the memorandum of conversation is in Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/9–2858; see Supplement.↩