Evening star., 1950-01-05
Fornnosu
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FOFmOSO
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reply to Republican senatorial
critics who have assailed admin.
istration handling of Far Eastern
affairs as ''bungling" and have re.
inforced their criticisms with de.
mands for varying degrees of mill.
tary force to help Chang keer
Formosa from the Chinese Com
munists who have swept over the
Chinese mainland.
The Presidents statement re-
viewed the relationship which
this country traditionally has en-.
Joyed with China; restated dec.
larations on preserving the in
tegrity of that country and ther
summed up in three brief sen.
tences its present attitude TOWARD
China.
During recently growing con.
troversy at the Capitol over policy
toward FormosA, some Republi.
cans-among them former Presi-
dent Herbert Hoover and Senator
Taft of Ohio-have urged that
the United States use its Navy, II
necessary, to keep the Chinese
Communists from gaining For
mosa.
The big island, lying about 100
miles off the Chinese mainland, Is
the last stronghold Of the Chinese
Nationalists.
Went to China Under Pact.
Beforehand during-the war II
was held by Japan. Under the
Cairo agreement Of 1943-made
by President Roosevelt, Prime
Minister Churchill of Britain anc
Chang Kai-shek, 1t was to be
handed back to the Republic o1
China.
Mr.. Truman's statement mad,
emphatically clear that undel
present conditions in the Far Eas
the United States Government
would not lift a finger to preven1
Formosa from falling to tn.
Chinese Communists If Chang /!
unable to hold it,
His declaration followed a meet.
ing Of the National Security Coun'
Gil last Thursday at which a gen
eral policy to this effect evidentl!
was agreed on by the Chief Execu'
tive and his top foreign policy
and military advisers. ~
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have
taken the position that Formosa
while an important place. is mo-
of sufficient strategic value tt
American defenses in the Western
Pacific to warrant involving
American forces in its defense.
Aid Mainly Agricultural.
Last week the Joint Chiefs sug
gested that the administration
send military mission to For
mosa. but Mr. Truman's statemen
made clear that he has, no sucl
intention.
Present United States economic
aid to the Chinese on Formosa
which Mr.. Truman mentioned
consists mainly of furnishing sucl
basic materials as fertilizers t,
the Formosan people.
In the light of Mr.. Truman
stand, about the only thing tn
Chinese can do if they wan
American arms and advice is t,
hire American military men on /,
personal basis and use their owl
funds to buy American arms.
Actually, State Department OH
cials see very little chance tina
Chang and his forces will be abl,
to hold Formosa for very long
They consider very great the dan
ger of an internal breakdown
opening the door to Communist
conquest.
Split Among Leaders Seen.
There apparently has been &
split between Mr.. Acheson ane
Secretary Of Defense, Johnson or
the question of aid to Formosa.
While. Mr.. johnson has never
gone on the record with any pub.
lie declaration. there have beer
many reports that he favored some
kind of military support fol
Chang and that he particularly
sponsored the recommendation
from the Joint Chiefs Of staff tina
a military mission be sent there.
II these reports are correct, the
Presidents announcement appar.
entity represents a clear-cut vic