Evening star., 1955-01-30

bomb the Reds mainland concentra-
tions II this II necessary TO the de-
tense Of Formosa.
President Eisenhower used an Inn
pressive and unprecedented device to
warn Peiping. He asked and got
congressional carte blanche to take
military steps that could easily force
q declaration Of war against Red
China.
Congress backed him. 4oo-3 In
the House, 85-3 in the Senate. on
the theory that q firm attitude now
would stand q better chance Of
preserving the peace than q wishy-
washy one, which might encourage
Peiping to miscalculate.
Communists Unimpressed
Red Chinese Premier Chou En-lai
has betrayed no sign Of hinching
vet. He repeated his pledge to
CELEBRATE" Formosa, continued mass
ing land, air and sea forces in the
area, and started softening up his
first big objective, the Tachen Is
lands.
Peiping Radio announced def
antly on Saturday: 1--WE are deter
mined to liberate Formosa. II the
United States armed forces dare to
attack US, we will firmly strike back
with heavy blows"
The President tried his best to
make the point that his intentions
were basically peaceful. He prob
ably was yielding to allied pressure
which sought cooling of Of the
Formosa situation. Then Red
China might be brought into a
more normal relationship with the
rest Of the world.
However, In his request, Mr..
Eisenhower sought such sweeping
powers in case Peiping reacts un-
favorably that some Senators and
several allies, too, apparently were
frightened he might be drawn into
a new war.
Goaded by this senatorial sniping.
the President issued special state
ment Thursday pledging that he
personally would keep a tight rein
on his generals and admirals-and,
supposedly, Chang Kai-shek. The
President said he would not delegate
authority to hit either the offshore
islands or the mainland.
Tochens Evacuation
The first test of the new Eisen-
hover policy Of firmness probably
win come in the next few days.
II it has not already started. Chang
is expected to order the evacua-
ton Of the ,Tachens soon. and the
United States 7th Fleet will help.
Chou En-lai has the choice Of
harassing the operation or stand
ing aside. II he stands aside he
loses face and the Eisenhower poll
icy pays its first dividend. If Red
China strikes at American ships
and planes, she may have q new
war on her hands.
United States evacuation ships
viii have to move through Red-sown
mine fields to get to the Tachen
beaches. Chinese torpedo boats are
also known to be In the vicinity.
The guns of the 7th Fleet and the
United States Air Force will cover
the landing craft during the opera
ton.
II Red China's MICS interfere,
American aircraft are understood to
have no restrictions on "hot pur-
suit" over the Chinese mainland. If
mainland based artillery gets trou-
, biesome, President Eisenhower him.
self, presumably, will decide whether
bombers will be sent against the
Chinese coast to strike at gun en-
placements.
Taipeh sources estimated 1t would
take only three or four days to take
the military and civilian occupants
of the Tachens of the islands.
U.N. Jumps In
In his original message. MFR.
Eisenhower called repeatedly for
United Nations efforts to obtain q
cease-fire in the Formosa area. His
congressional excursion last week
was apparently long -planned
prelude to free world bid to estab-
lish '.two Chinas' In the Far East
and bring Peiping into the U. N.
The initiative apparently came from
Britain and India.
But as Mr.. Eisenhower himself
suspected, neither China was keen
on a cease-fire. Each claims sover-
eighty over the others territory, and
any q. NJ. cease-fire would presup-
pose q settling-down to the status
quo.
In spite Of these public reactions
from the principal participants In
the war. New Zealand called Spe-
cial Security Council meeting fol
IL am. tomorrow. 1t was reported
that, as o flrst step toward q cease
fire. the United States and Great
Britain would sponsor an invitation
to Red China to present its case tt
the l1-nation group.
Saturday Peiping Radio broadcast
what amounted to rejection In ad.
vance OF any q. N. invitation to dis
cuss q cease-flre: "The so-callec
cease-fire is totally unaccept-
able. The Chinese people must elm.
mate the traitorous Chang CLIQUE
Formosas is territory stolen BY thai
clique and 1t must be liberated hJ
the Chinese people. There - nc
cease-fire to discuss"
II the u. N. tries to get . cease
fire and fails, the United States vii
be In o good position 70 ask tn
q. N. for support In stopping AM
Communist attack on Formosa.
Az Democratic reaction showed
the timing and execution Of thl
Presidents maneuver was as astut'
politically as II was automatically
Not only does It force the Democrat
TO share responsibility with th'
Republicans II war comes, 1t alsi
smoothes the way for any supple
mentary military budgets which