Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-27

tackled. It did not further
specify which one or ones actu-
ally shot down the attackers.
However. Secretary of Defense
Wilson said yesterday that the
pilots were flying the Douglas
built Skyraiders when they re-
turned the fire. promptly shoot
ing down both the Communist
planes"
\ Meanwhile, American officials
today viewed the Chinese Com
munist attacks on allied aircraft
as a test of nerves in the ;ittery
Far East.
These officials felt that the
United States. by defying the
Red rough stuff. is winning the
test and can look forward to
an end OF the incidents.
Believed Deliberate.
Western diplomats were GER.
tain that Red pilots acted DELHI
erately when they shot down
the British airliner and attacked
two American planes.
United States officials feel that
the Chinese Communists made
the air assaults because they
got too cocky after their mill
tary victories In Indo- China and
their diplomatic victories at the
Geneva Conference that ended
the Indo-C Chinese war.
The Reds, it is believed by
some sources here, set out to
test Allied feelings,
Admiral Robert B. Carney.
United States Chief of Naval
Operations, followed up by an
nouncing that the. carriers-the
Hornet and the Philippine Sea
would continue the search
until all possibilities have been
exhausted Of finding either adj
ditional survivors or wreckage
OF the plane"
This was blunt warning that
Red attacks could not intimidate
the United States Navy to get
out Of the South China Sea. -
The whole problem was dis.
cussed yesterday at White
House luncheon attended by
President Eisenhower, Secretary
Of Defense Wilson, Chairman
Arthur w. Radford Of the Joint
Chiefs Of Staff and Retired Gen.
James A. Van Fleet.
The luncheon conference con-
centrated on the problems of
Korea, but the Far Eastern Incl
dents also were discussed. The
consensus of the meeting was re-
ported to be that the Chinese
Communists understood force
and would not retaliate for the
loss Of their two planes.
Bitterness Aroused.
The developments aroused
angry bipartisan protests in
Congress and further embittered
American feelings toward the
Peiping regime.
Senator Ferguson, Republican,
Of Michigan, said today the
Communist world should read
"a strengthened United States
policy" into the shooting down
of the two Communist planes
off the Redtheld island Of Hal
nan.
Senator Ferguson, chairman
of the Senate Republican Policy
Committee, said it was wise poll
icy to shoot down the Commu-
mist attackers, because failure
to fight back might have mis-.
led them into believe that Amer
leans won't fight"
Chairmen of both the Senate
Foreign Relations and Armed
Services Committees urged col
leagues to let the White House
and State Department call the
signals.
| Senator Wiley. Republican. of
| Wisconsin announced the Sem
ate Foreign Relations Commit
tee which he heads probably will
discuss the situation during the
week with Secretary of State
Dulles.
! Wiley Urges Caution.
Senator Wiley said his advice,
meanwhile, is that This should
be left in the hands of the exec
utive" and that official WASH
ington should mot fly off the
handle"
i Senator Saltonstall, Republi-
can. of Massachusetts,, chairman
Of the Armed Services Commit
tee, told newsmen the incident
shows the Communists, either
Chinese or Russian, haven't
changed their spots"
Senator Saltonstall praised
the United States flyers who re-
piled to the Red attack with
telling gunfire.
A different view came from
Representative A. l.. Miller, Re-
publican. of Nebraska. who said
in a separate interview that "it
looks like somebody is spelling
for q fight and I don't like it,
: 'I don't think we are JUS
tified," Mr.. Miller said. "in
bringing our planes. ships and
personnel to patrol the coast
, of China to protect British ship
ping and planes. Let Britain
do il"
Senator Fulbright. Democrat