Evening star., 1955-02-04
Britain Switches Bid
For Formosan Truce
To Asian Leaders
BY the Associated Press

LONDON, Feb. 4.-The British
government today wrote off all
immediate chances of a United
Nations cease-flre in the For
mosa Strait.
Instead. it turned to Asian
leaders of the worldwide British
Commonwealth, meeting here, in
the hope of finding a solution to
the explosive situation and avert
ing a major shooting war in the
Far East.
Shocked and disappointed by
Red China's refusal to come to
the U. N. and talk things over,
Prime Minister ChurchilPs gov
ernment saw the best prospect
of peace in secret, behind the
scene diplomacy instead of pub
lie negotiation through the U. N.
The British hopes rested
mainly On India's neutralist
Prime Minister Nehru, who has
been in constant touch with the
Chinese Communist government
and has been a chief negotiator
between East and West in the
past.
Aldrich Sees Eden.
United States Ambassador
Winthrop w. Aldrich conferred
with British Foreign Secretary
Anthony Eden on the Formosa
crisis today.
Also present were Prime Min
lister Robert G. Menzies of Aus
tralia and Sir John Kotelawela.
Ceylon's premier, who are at
tending the British Common
wealth conference here. Another
guest at the luncheon meeting
was Harold Macmillan, Britains
secretary of defense.
Mr.. Aldrich talked to Mr..
Nehru at the home of the lat
ter's sister, Mrs. Pandit, India S
high commissioner, yesterday.
The Commonwealth Prime
Ministers began a series of
urgent consultations this morn
ing on new ways to bring a
quick end to the shooting be-
tween Red China and Chang
Kai-shek's Nationalists.
Responsible informants said
Mr.. Nehru, Sir Winston and the
other Commonwealth Premiers
are studying these alternate
cease-f1re moves:
l. A personal approach by
Mr.. Nehru to the Chinese Reds
in an effort to arrange a de
facto-"unwritten" n"-cease-f fire.
2. Acceptance Of an Indonesian
proposal for mediation in the
Formosa dispute by the Colombo
powers They include the neu-
tralist Asian nations-India, In
donesia, Burma and Ceylon -
plus Pakistan. which is militarily
linked to the West. Burmese
Premier U Nu already has begun
an independent effort through
diplomatic channels to arrange
a cease-flre.
3. A major international con-
ference outside the u. N. to deal
with the Formosa situation as a
threat to world peace. The
United States, Britain. Russia,
India and the two Chinas were
listed as prospects for the con-
ference table.
Unwritten Truce Possible.
Responsible Asian informants
said Mr.. Nehru believes an "un-
written cease-fire" in the For
mosa Strait could be arranged
If the Chinese Nationalists evac-
uate the offshore Chinese islands
including Quemoy, Matsu and
the TachenS. This would leave
an 80-mile water barrier between
the Chinese Reds and Gen
Chiang's main bases on the
United States-protected For
mosa -Pescadores group.
Under a deal of this kind. Mr.
Nehru appears ready to try tc
persuade Red China to quit
shooting in a tacit understanding
that Gen. Chang would refrain
from attacks on the mainland
The United States would bt
expected to secure compliance
from Gen. Chang. whose repre-
sentatives so far have asserted
emphatically the Nationalist
will have nothing to do with any
cease-fire.