The Taiwan Strait crisis; U.S. concern with the defense of Taiwan and the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan area; the Formosa resolution; efforts to bring the problem before the U.N. Security Council; negotiations leading to the Republic of China’s evacuation of the Tachen Islands with U.S. assistance; diplomatic efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to the crisis; the question of U.S. policy with regard to Quemoy and Matsu; the question of Nationalist response to the growth of Communist air power; the Robertson–Radford mission to Taipei; the U.S. response to Premier Chou En-lai’s proposal of negotiations; diplomatic efforts to obtain the release of American prisoners in the People’s Republic of China; negotiations leading to the establishment of the Ambassadorial talks at Geneva between representatives of the United States and the People’s Republic of China 1
1. For previous documentation on this subject, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. xiv, Part 1, pp. 1 ff.
31. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2255. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London for information. Merchant is indicated on the telegram as the drafter, but handwritten notes by Merchant on the source text state that it was approved by the Secretary, drafted by Bowie, and cleared with Robertson, and that Murphy had been informed of its gist.
32. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2355. Secret; Niact. Passed to CINCPAC by the Department at Rankin’s request.
33. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bohlen) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2355. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated for information to London for Ambassador Aldrich.
34. Message From the President to the Congress, Washington, January 24, 1955
Source: Reprinted from Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1955, pp. 207–211.
36. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 25, 1955, 12:52 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. The time indicated on the memorandum of conversation is 11:30 a.m., but, according to Dulles’ appointment diary (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers), the meeting took place at 12:52 p.m.
37. Memorandum for the Record by the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Cutler)
Source: Department of State, S/P–NSC Files: Lot 61 D 167, Formosa. Top Secret. According to the President’s appointment dairy the meeting took place at 2:45 p.m. (Eisenhower Library, President’s Daily Appointments)
38. Telegram From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Far East (Hull) and the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Stump)
Source: JCS Records, CCS 381 Far East (11–28–50) Sec. 25. Top Secret; Operational Immediate. A copy was received in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs on January 25. (Department of State, CA Files: Lot 59 D 110, Air Force Communications Project—Formosa) No time of transmission is indicated on the source text.
39. Telegram From the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2555. Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution.
40. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR–NIE Files. Top Secret.
Special National Intelligence Estimates (SNIEs) were high-level interdepartmental reports presenting appraisals of vital foreign policy problems on an immediate or crisis basis. SNIEs were drafted by officers from those agencies represented on the Intelligence Advisory Committee (IAC), discussed and revised by interdepartmental working groups coordinated by the Office of National Estimates of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), approved by the IAC, and circulated under the aegis of the CIA to the President, appropriate officers of cabinet level, and the National Security Council.
41. Letter From President Eisenhower to British Prime Minister Churchill
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Extract. Top Secret.
42. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 26, 1955
Source: Department of State, ROC Files: Lot 71 D 517, 1954–1955, Offshore Islands. Secret. Drafted by Bond.
43. Report of New Zealand–United Kingdom–United States Working Party
Source: Department of State, PPS Files: Lot 66 D 70, China. Secret. As revised by agreement at the meeting recorded in the memorandum supra and, at British request, on January 27. Copies of the report, both with and without the latter revision, were sent to Lodge with covering letters of January 26 and 27 from Key. (Ibid., Central Files, 793.00/1–2655 and ibid., ROC Files: Lot 71 D 517, 1954–1955, Offshore Islands, respectively) A memorandum of January 27 from Martin to Robertson states that the British Embassy had proposed a further revision of the last sentence of paragraph 5(a) and that the Secretary had rejected the proposal but had agreed to revise the sentence to read as printed below. (Ibid., Central Files, 793.5/1–2655)
44. Memorandum of Discussion at the 234th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, January 27, 1955
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on January 28.
45. Memorandum of a Conversation, The White House, Washington, January 27, 1955, 12:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5411/1–2755. Top Secret. Drafted by Cutler,
46. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 27, 1955, 5:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/1–2755. Secret. Drafted by McConaughy and initialed by Robertson, indicating his approval.
47. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bohlen) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2755. Top Secret; Limit Distribution.
48. Letter From the United Nations Secretary-General (Hammarskjöld) to the Secretary of State
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Wang–Johnson Talks. Top Secret; Eyes Only. The classification was apparently added after the letter reached the Department of State.
49. Telegram From the Chief of Naval Operations (Carney) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Stump)
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Miscellaneous Series, Formosa Area. Top Secret; Priority. Drafted by Carney; also sent to the Commander, Seventh Fleet.
50. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 28, 1955, 11:25 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2855. Secret. Drafted by McConaughy. The time of the meeting is from the Secretary’s appointment diary. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)
51. Memorandum From the British Embassy at Washington to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2855. Secret. A copy was sent to the President with a covering memorandum of January 28 from Secretary Dulles, which bears the handwritten notation, “President has seen. 28 Jan. 55. G[oodpaster].” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series) Copies were sent to Wilson, Radford, and Allen Dulles; Radford transmitted the text to Stump, Pride, and Hull. (Memoranda from Walter K. Scott, Director of the Executive Secretariat, to Wilson, Radford, and Allen Dulles, Jan. 28, 1955; Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/1–2855; telegram 975068 from JCS to CINCPAC, COMSEVENTHFLT, and CINCFE, January 29, 1955; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Miscellaneous Series, Formosa Area)
52. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bohlen) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 032/1–2855. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Received with extensive omissions at 2:10 p.m.; the complete text was received at 9:45 a.m. on January 29.
53. Letter From the Secretary of State to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Hammarskjöld)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95B251/1–2155. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Dulles. The copy sent to Hammarskjöld was apparently not classified; the classification is typed directly on the source text, a carbon copy.
54. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the British Ambassador (Makins), Department of State, Washington, January 28, 1955
Source: Department of State, FE/FA Files: Lot 62 D 225, Relations with the British Commonwealth. Top Secret. Drafted by Dulles on January 29.
55. Memorandum From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Formosa (Chase), to the Acting Chief of General Staff of the Republic of China (Peng)
Source: Department of State, Taipei Embassy Files: Lot 62 F 83. Top Secret.
56. Joint Resolution by the Congress
Source: Public Law 4, approved on January 29; 69 Stat. 7. For text of a statement issued by the President upon signing the joint resolution, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1955, p. 24.
57. Memorandum for the Record, by the President
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Series. Top Secret. Sent to Admiral Radford with a covering memorandum dated January 29, 1955, which reads as follows:
“Attached is a memorandum I have just dictated of our conversation yesterday. Please make on it any notations or corrections you believe necessary and return to me. I will furnish you with a copy of the corrected document as agreed upon. DE” (Ibid.)
For Radford’s memorandum in reply, see Document 64. A second “Memorandum for the Record” by the President, dated January 31, is identical in substance with this one, except that sub-paragraph d. reads as follows:
“It was finally agreed that the United States Commander could attack the airfields from which the Chinese Communist air forces were operating if necessary in defense of his own forces engaged in the operation.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Series)
58. Telegram From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Radford) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Stump)
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Series. Top Secret; Priority. Sent to COMSEVENTHFLT for information.
59. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/1–2955. Secret; Niact. Received at 12:29 p.m. Repeated to USUN for Lodge by the Department as telegram 382 to New York, January 29. (Ibid.)
60. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 293.9322/1–3055. Top Secret; Niact. Received at 6 a.m. Repeated to USUN for Lodge by the Department as telegram 384 to New York, January 30. (Ibid.)