Office of the Historian

285. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Republic of China1

Washington, July 2, 1955—12:40 p.m.

5. Your memo June 20 conversation Ambassador and President Chiang re proposed transfer of additional division to Quemoy.2 Dept. regrets Ambassador indicated ultimate responsibility for decision lay with President Chiang. Under exchange of notes of December 10, transfer of military elements in certain circumstances is not to be effected without mutual agreement. Question whether proposed transfer calls for mutual agreement under exchange of notes now under consideration here. You should be careful to take no action and make no statement tending to prejudge this question.3

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.5/7–255. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted and approved in CA and cleared in substance with Robertson.↩
  2. The memorandum of conversation, drafted by Cochran and dated June 21, recorded a conversation on June 20 between Rankin and Chiang prior to Rankin’s departure on home leave, in which Chiang stated that he considered the transfer of the division necessary for military and psychological reasons but regretted that Chase did not agree. Rankin replied that he “was confident that General Chase fully realized that the ultimate responsibility for decision lay with the President.” (Ibid., CA Files: Lot 59 D 110, Offshore Islands, 1955)↩
  3. Telegram 10 from Taipei, July 6, replied that the Embassy would be guided by the last sentence of telegram 5 to Taipei but noted that planning was underway for the transfer of the division, which had been alerted, and stated the Embassy’s view, in which the Military Assistance Advisory Group and the Formosa Liaison Center concurred, that the transfer would not sufficiently effect the defensibility of Taiwan to warrant representations on a matter which was of great sensitivity to the Chinese. (Ibid., Central Files, 793.5/7–655)↩