32. Editorial Note
At the 376th meeting of the National Security Council on August 14, 1958, Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles discussed the Taiwan Strait situation during his briefing on significant world developments. The President then commented on the subject. The relevant portion of the memorandum of discussion by S. Everett Gleason, August 15, reads as follows:
“Mr. Dulles pointed out that the situation in the Taiwan Straits was developing along the lines which had been foreseen last week. There was still no concrete evidence of a Communist Chinese plan to attack the offshore islands; but the Communist Chinese Air Force was in a position to take over air control above the Taiwan Straits, and clashes with the Chinese Nationalist aircraft had occurred. The increasing aggressiveness of the Communist Chinese Air Force since August 9 was making it very difficult for the Chinese Nationalists to continue to carry out reconnaissance of the Chinese mainland. The Nationalists were now asking for a U.S. public statement to the effect that a Communist attack on the offshore islands would be equivalent to a Communist attack on Taiwan itself.
“The President pointed out that this problem would have to be considered in the light of whether such a Communist Chinese attack on the offshore islands was a preliminary to an attack on Taiwan. We had earlier tried desperately to make Chiang Kai-shek see what a difficult situation he was getting into when he put so many of his troops and supplies on these offshore islands. The President also reminded the Council of the obligation of the Administration to consult with the Senate in deciding what to do in the contingency of a Chinese Communist attack on the offshore islands.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)