Evening star., 1955-01-24
Message
CONTINUED From First Page.) }

menting the message considered
jointly by the Senate Foreign
Relations and Armed Services
Committees today. Chairman
George Of Foreign Relatios an
nounced the two committees
would hear Secretary Of State
Dulles in the old Supreme Court
chamber in the Capitol.
Chairman Russell of Armed
Services and Senator Saltonstall.
the ranking Republican on that
committee, joined four mem
hers of Foreign Relations in
sponsoring the resolutio. The
other sponsors were Senators
George. Wiley. Knowland and
Green.
The Presidents message did
not specifically mention the pos
sibility of United States attacks
on the China mainland. But
official sources said the mes
sage sought authorization for
actions that might include
bombing of points on the China
mainland. The targets might
include Communist airfields or
areas where troops were con-
centrating as what appeared OBJ.
viously to be preparations for
an attack on the protected area.
"Armed Forces" Discussed.
It was noted also that the
President asked authorization to
use the armed forces" instead
of the United States 7th Fleet
and its carrier planes which
have figured in previous dis
cussions of this problem. The
Presidents request, it was stated
authoritatively. should be taken
as including authorization to use
United States land forces al
though at the present time the
administration does not foresee
circumstances under which these
American ground units would be
needed. It was noted that Chi
nese Nationalist Premier Chang
Kai-shek already commands
sizable land forces.
Because the message did not
specifically define related areas"
which the United States might
want to defend from Commu-
mist attack, Mr.. Eisenhower left
unanswered the question Of
whether the United States would
defend the island complexes Of
Quemoy and Matsu. It is al
ready clear that the United
States will not commit its forces
to defend islands to the north,
such as the Tachens.
Close TO Mainland.
Quemoy and Matsu. however,
lie very close TO the China main
land directly opposite the south
ern and the northern tips Of
FormoSa. They, therefore, are
directly in the path of any in
vasion route from the mainland.
Under present circumstances
the islands would lie within the
protected area which Mr.. Eisen-
hover described as related To-
calities,' That, however. per-
haps would not always be the
case
For instance. there was specu-
lation that If a much-discussed
cease-fire could be arranged in
the Formosan Straits under the
auspices of the United Nations.
Quenaoy and Matsu might no
longer be considered part Of the
vital defenses Of Formosa and
the Pescadores which the United
States Is prepared TO defend
under a mutual defense treaty
with Chang.
1t was stated that nothing in
this situation waived Chiang's S
claim to the China mainland
II did seem clear, however. that
there was little chance in the
forseeable future that Chang
could lead a successful invasion
against the Chinese Communist
regime as 1t now exists.
Possible Chang Role.
Some quarters harbored hopes
that Communist China, like so
many other Red states. viii de-
velop internal frictions that
would leave open the possibility
of a continuing role for Chang
to exert influence on the situa-
tion and be in a position TO play
q decisive role should such ele-
nnents become influential.
While there was some hope
here that in the long run such a
trend could prevail. there was no
q y