Office of the Historian

140. Memorandum of Conference With President Eisenhower0

Washington, September 29, 1958, 10:30 a.m.

OTHERS PRESENT

  • General Twining
  • General Goodpaster

General Twining reported that the Chiefs believe that they have the supply crisis “broken” in the offshore island area, and are no longer so concerned about it. They are being pressed to provide airlift; they agree that the capability should exist in Formosa, but feel it should not be used unless critically necessary, because of expense.1

The President said that something must be done to make Chiang more flexible in his approach. He said he did not like to wage a fight on the ground of someone else’s choosing, and this is the case in Quemoy and Matsu where we are at a great disadvantage in terms of world opinion. On the other hand we have no choice but to take a firm stand in the present circumstances. The President thought that something might be done by offering amphibious lift to Chiang so that he could take advantage of any weakening on the continent, and so that the only way the Chinese Communists could attack his control of Formosa would be bound to bring us to their defense. General Twining said there has been concern that Chiang might do something rash, but General Kuter,2 who has just visited him, feels that this is not likely. General Twining raised the question [Page 297] whether Chiang really believes he can ever go back. The President said he must of course keep his people thinking that there is some possibility of doing so. General Twining said he would get some thinking started in the Pentagon as to what could be done with Chiang to get him out of the offshore islands. The President asked that this be done.

[Here follows discussion of unrelated subjects.]

G.
Brigadier General, USA
  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Secret. Prepared by Goodpaster on September 30.↩
  2. According to a memorandum by Dulles of a meeting between himself and the President at 11 a.m. that day, the President indicated that Twining had spoken of “the heavy cost of the Formosa operation and his hope that it would not have to continue indefinitely,” (Ibid., Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President; see Supplement)↩
  3. General Laurence S. Kuter, USAF, Commander, Pacific Air Forces.↩