Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-11
Banding Talks
May Decide
# Reds Fight
BY JOHN Nj. HIGHTOWER
Associated Press STAFF Writer


The African-Asian conference
opening week from today may
be a big factor in Communist
China's decision whether to at
tack in the FormoSa area this
spring or at any time.
Top United States officials
have decided the Chinese Reds
are not likely to move on the
Matsu or Quemoy Islands before
or during the conference, to be
held at Bandung. Indonesia.
Army Secretary Stevens, re-
turning yesterday from an in
spection trip to the Far East,
said he doesn't believe the Reds
have any immediate plans for
an offensive in the Formosa
Strait. If there is an attack, he
said, he thinks Chiang's forces
could give very good account
of themselves"
American leaders attach great
Importance to the Banding talks
not because of the issues which
will come up but because of the
diplomatic maneuvers that will
take place in conference corri-
doris.
Reds Among Principals
The Chinese Communists will
be one Of the principal particle
pants. What happens to them
there may have either of two re-
suits as authorities here analyZe
the situation:
/. If the Communists find that
their demands for possession Of
Formosa and the offshore island
groups are generally supported
as right, then they will be en-
couraged to use force in realizing
those claims. The danger of war
in the Formosa Strait would
flame high the next week or soon
thereafter.
2. If the Chinese Reds find
that their threat to use force
costs them the good will of the
African and Asian nations and
subjects them to censure, then
they may be persuaded to stay
their hand. Slender hopes for
a negotiated settlement would
be substantially enlarged.
The conference, with 20 ma
tons expected, win open on April
Is. It is scheduled to run
through April "a. American eyes
and ears in Banding will be
supplied by Ambassador Hugh
S. Cumming. jr., and his staff
from the Embassy at the In
donesian capital, Jakarta.
Humphrey Wants Action
Senator Humphrey, Democrat,
of Minnesota, urged yesterday
that the administration move
from "the defensive to the Of
fenSive" in its attitude toward
the conference. Forecasting that
Communists at the conference
will stress land reform, Sena-
tor Humphrey said in a state
ment this country should open
ly challenge the Soviet to apply
such land reform principles in
their own country"
The conference was called by
group Of Asian countries and
one of the ballyhooed figures is
to be midas Prime Minister
Nehru.
OF the nations which will be
in the conference, more recog-
nized Red China than National
list China. But many of those
which recognize the Reds are
either friendly toward the United
States or essentially neutral in
their attitude. There is con-
siderable hope here that the
dominant mood Of the confer
ence will be one of peace-seeking
and that this will act as a re-
straint of the Chinese Com
munists and a compulsion to
make them negotiate for a For
mosan settlement.
The United States on its part
has recently emphasized a strong
desire to avoid a fight over
Matsu and Quemoy-with impli-
cations that if the Reds will
negotiate a settlement keeping
hands off Formosa they can have
the coastal islands.