Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, China, Volume XIX

28. Memorandum of Meeting⁰

Washington, August 8, 1958, 6:03–6:20 p.m.

TAIWAN STRAITS

PRESENT

• The Secretary
• The Under Secretary
• FE—Mr. Robertson
• CA—Mr. Lutkins
• S/S—Mr. Howe
• • Defense
    • Mr. Quarles
    • General Byers¹
  • White House
    • Gordon Gray

The Secretary noted that unlike the situation in late 1954 the Offshore Islands were now sufficiently integrated with Taiwan and a sufficiently large proportion of GRC troops were stationed on the Islands to mean that an attack on the Offshore Islands would now constitute an attack on Formosa itself. The Secretary noted that this was possibly not clearly recognized by responsible officers and possibly not by the President.

Gordon Gray said that he planned discussion of the problem at the Planning Board on Tuesday and the NSC on Thursday. Mr. Quarles felt instead that the need was for intensive contingency military planning with political assistance from the Department, comparable to the military planning for Lebanon.

Governor Herter thought it important we think out what steps we would take if the Communists start to “interdict” the supply route or threaten to do so. The Secretary recognized that it may also be necessary to make a more clear public declaration of our position so that it could not be misunderstood by the Communists.

Mr. Quarles speculated that Khrushchev’s visit to Peiping may have been designed to prepare a diversionary activity in case the USSR got more directly involved in the Middle East.

Mr. Quarles estimated that even with the U.S. presence in the Straits an effort by the Chinese Communists to control the Straits could not be stopped unless the Mainland air bases themselves were bombed with atomic weapons.

Taipei’s 161² was read by Robertson.

No decision was taken on the question of public announcement nor on the NSC discussions.

It was agreed that Defense, in cooperation with the State Department, should prepare a statement of alternative contingencies which could be given to the JCS for military planning on an urgent basis.

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–1158. Secret. Drafted by Fisher Howe on August 11. Howe sent the memorandum to Herter with a covering note dated August 13. The time of the meeting is taken from Dulles’ appointment diary. (Princeton University, Dulles Papers)
1. Lieutenant General Clovis E. Byers, Military Adviser to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
2. Telegram 161 from Taipei, August 8, reported that Defense Minister Yu had told Admiral Smoot that he had information suggesting the movement of one division of Communist troops to the Amoy area and the movement of IL 28 planes to an unspecified airfield. He told Smoot that in case of an attack on the offshore islands, the Nationalists would “fight to the end” with or without U.S. support. (Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/8–858; see Supplement)