237. Letter From President Eisenhower to President Chiang 0
Dear Mr. President: Thank you very much for your letter of November fifth.1 I quite understand your apprehensions concerning the attempts by the Communists to distort the meaning of the joint communiqué in order to negate its effect and confuse the world. However, I assure you that reports we have received from capitals around the world are most encouraging and indicate that the communiqué has met with an almost uniformly favorable response. I think it is now clear to all that our two governments are truly united in their devotion to peace and freedom and that it is the Communists, by contrast, who are imperiling the peace of the world by seeking to extend the limits of their oppressive [Page 487] rule through force of arms. Your own wise decision during the present trying crisis to deny the Communists any conceivable pretext for extending the scope of their attacks has been amply rewarded by dramatizing this contrast to the world.
I assume of course that your reference to means and actions in support of anti-Communist activities on the mainland is to be understood as being within the context of the joint communiqué and our other understandings.
I believe that our alliance, contrary to Communist expectations, has become even stronger and closer in the present difficult situation. I join you in believing that our close cooperation in the cause of freedom serves to keep alive the hopes of those in your country and elsewhere who are struggling to regain the freedom of which they have been so cruelly deprived.
With warm regard,
Sincerely,
- Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Secret. Drafted in the Department of State and cleared by Dulles, who added the second paragraph. A draft was sent to him in Seattle in Tedul 7, November 12; he replied in Dulte 8 from Seattle, November 13. (Ibid., Central Files, 611.93/11–1258 and 611.93/11–1358, respectively) The message was transmitted to Taipei in telegram 424, November 17; telegram 751 from Taipei, November 18, reported that it had been delivered that evening. (Ibid., 793.00/11–1758 and 793.00/11–1858, respectively)↩
- The letter, together with a letter of the same date from Chiang to Dulles, is filed with a covering letter of November 6 from Yeh to Dulles. (Ibid., Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204; see Supplement)↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩