Evening star., 1951-05-05

he SAID.
Their differences had been over
method. Gen. Macarthur wanted
occupation of the island"-speaking
Of FormoSa-"and Mr.. Truman
stood for it's naturalization by the
United States 7th Fleet until its
status could be settled through the
United Nations
I have read, and just last night
reread, your letter to the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, and could
find no hint or statement that
you desired American occupation OF
the island.
I interpreted your statement as
saying that it should not be ale
lowed to fall into unfriendly hands.
Gould you clarity the record IN that
regard?
Didn't Advocate Occupation.
Gen. MacArthur-Entirely; there
is not a word of truth in any state
|ment made, from whatever source,
that have even advocated the oc-
|cupation by American troops OF
Formosa. have always maintained
that it should not be permitted to
fall into enemy hands.
Senator KnoWland-. l would
like to ask you whether, since the
outbreak of the hostilities in Korea
last year, you have ever had any
indications from the Joint Chiefs
tof Staff that, in their Judgment,
Formosa was not strategically I'M
portant to us?
Gen. MacArthur-None. Quite
the contrary, Senator. I think the
position of the Joint Chiefs of Stah
comedies very closely with my own,
on Formosa,
Senator Knowland - In other
words, l take it, and I have read
some of the documents that have
been made available to the commit
Itee-the Joint Chiefs Of Staff, at
least in the period of time covered
from the outbreak Of hostilities, ap-
pear to have taken very definite
position that in their Judgment
IFormosa is of strategic Importance
to the defense of the United States,
and a free world.
Am 1 substantially correct?
| Gen. MacArthur-That is entirely
correct.
| Senator Knowland- Going
now to the document of March oath or
26th, approximately that date, as I
understand it the Joint Chiefs in
dicated that in their judgment as
part of any negotiations which
might take place, that there should
not be considered on the bargain
ing table the admission of Com
Imunist China into the United Ma
tions or the turning over OF For
!. mosa to the Chinese Communists.
Am I correct in that?
; Gen. MacArthur-That is cor
rect, sir.
Senator Knowland-Do I UNDER
stand that at a subsequent date
there was either by Endorsement or
by memo or otherwise an indication
, from a higher echelon that there
was general agreement with the
Joint Chiefs position except that
it was believed that the turning
over of Formosa and the admission
, of Communist China into the
United Nations could properly be
! considered as a basis for negotla-
ton for a cease fire?
Gen. MacArthur-That is correct,
sir. The recommendations of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff went to the
Secretary of Defense. The Secretary
of Defense forwarded their recon-
mendationS as I understand it to
the Secretary of State, but disagreed
with them on those two points.
Senator Knowland-To your own
knowledge-and perhaps you would
not be the best source; we could
inquire at later date of one or
both of the Secretaries-Were those
two items eliminated, were the two
items eliminated or the change re-
garding the two items, did it
take place prior to the time
the document went from the de-
fense establishment to the State
Department or do you have any
knowledge of whether conSulta-
tions had taken place prior to the
time the Secretary of Defense made
the changes in the Joint Chiefs
recommendations?
Gen. MacArthur-My understand
ing was that the Secretary of State
requested of the Secretary of De-
fense those provisions which would
lo1 i,,oIYIInI fEo Ern o1,1
ment
The Secretary of Defense re-
ferred the question primarily to
) the Joint Chiefs of Staff who made
: these recommendation to him.
Upon receipt of those reconmen-
dations by the Secretary of De-
tense from the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
he referred the papers back to the
Secretary of State, agreeing with
the Joint Chiefs of Staff except
in these two points that I have
brought out. What happened after
that I do not know.
Draws Conclusions.
I Senator Knowland-Well, can
not help but draw a conclusion,
pending development of additional
testimony, that that would then
leave our arrangement for a cease
fire in precisely the same position
it was when our United Nations
Representative voted at Lake Success
on January II for the cease fire
proposal of India and the Middle
East, which at that time stated
specifically that they would con-
slider in the negotiations the turn
ing over of Formosa to Communist
China and the admission of Com
munist China into the United Ma
tionS.
Gen. MacArthur-That is correct,
Senator Northumberland, with
your wide knowledge of conditions
in the Far EaSt-and I suppose
there have been few if any Ameri-
cans who have had as broad and
as varied experience in the Far
East as have you-would you be
willing to express your judgment
as to whether or not the strategic
ability of the Republic of China to
maintain itself was jeopardiZed by
the provisions of the Yalta agree
ment, which gave the Soviet at lea"t