Office of the Historian

239. Memorandum From the Regional Planning Adviser in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Green) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Parsons)0

Washington, November 18, 1958.

SUBJECT

  • Provision of Amphibious Lift Capability to GRC

The attached memorandum from Ed Martin1 provides a helpful review of actions and positions taken following the President’s memorandum of October 7 to the Secretary on the above subject.2 The memorandum does not cover most recent developments, including Admiral Smoot’s telegram3 discussing his oral understandings with Tiger Wang, CINCPAC’s reactions, CINCUSARPAC’s reactions and the Embassy’s comments.4

With regard to substance, I wonder if the President’s concept has not in fact been overtaken and somewhat altered by the line emphasized by the Secretary during his meetings with the Gimo. If the bases for counterattacking the mainland “lie in the minds and hearts of 600,000,000 Chinese,” if we are trying to dissuade the Chinats from resort to force, if we are trying to persuade them to improve their posture before the world and retain their international standing—if those aims are to be emphasized, would we not badly serve our objectives by building up what would look to the world like an amphibious armada for returning to the mainland? Would this not have a reversing effect on the favorable evolution in GRC thinking we are trying to bring about?

I have always had doubts about the utility of concentrating our energies on thinning out GRC forces on the offshores, fearing that that might detract from channeling our energies, powers of persuasion and incentives toward the realization of the broad positive course charted by the joint communiqué signed by the Gimo and the Secretary.

That course, it seems to me, calls for deemphasis on things military and for long-neglected emphasis on the GRC’s role as improver of conditions of life, in sharp contrast to the Orwellian horrors of Communist China.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/11–1858. Secret. Drafted by Green.↩
  2. The November 13 memorandum, not attached to the source text, is ibid., 793.5/10–758; see Supplement.↩
  3. Document 166.↩
  4. See footnote 1, Document 236.↩
  5. Reference is apparently to Document 236; the CINCPAC and CINCUSARPAC telegrams have not been found.↩