Evening star., 1960-10-13
President Stays AIoof
In Quemoy-Motsu Row
BY GARNETT ID. HORNER
star stan Writer

President Eisenhower kept
to a firm "hands-off" policy
today on the developing debate
between Vice President Nixon
and Senator Kennedy over
whether the United States
should defend Quemey and
Matsu.
White House Press Secretary
James c. Hagerry refused fatty
to say whether there is any
difference between the Presi-
dents policy anu Mr.. Nixon's
insistence that the United
States must not permit Chi
nese Communist capture of the
two islands held by the Chinese
Nationalist close to the Red
China mainland.
i am not going to have any
comment on that no matter
how you ask the question, ("
Mr.. Hagerty told reporters.
One thing was clear from
the record, however: What Mr.
Nixon is saying about Quemoy
and Matsu is closer to the
Presidents position than is
Senator Kennedy's stand.
Mr.. Nixon, the Republican
presidential candidate, says
abandoning Quemoy and Matsu
to the Communists would only
whet the appetite of the Red
aggressors and would lead to
war or surrender"
His Democratic rival, Senator
Kennedy, says he intends to
see that mot a single American
dies on those islands," He as
serts the Vice President "in-
vites war" by insisting that the
United States must defend
Quemoy and Matsu.
Senator Kennedy says he
would try to convince the
Nationalist Chinese to evacuate
the islands. but he would not
let the Chinese Reds force an
evacuation under threat OF
their guns.
Not q Flat Commitment
Mr.. Nixon appears to have
gone a step further than Mr.
Eisenhower ever has toward
committing this country, if he
were President, to war If neces-
Sary to prevent Communist
conquest Of the two islands.
The President came close to
making such a commitment
two years ago when Quemoy
and MatSu were under heavy
bombardment from the Chinese
Communists on the mainland
But he stopped short of a fat
commitment.
] The defense treaty between
the United States and the
Chinese Nationalists binds the
United States to defend
FormoSa and the Pescadores
from attack. 1t does not men,
tion Quemoy and Matsu, but
says this country would defend
other territories it considered
necessary.
Mr.. Eisenhower explained or
September IL. 1858, that he
interprets a joint resolution
passed by Congress at his re-
quest "aS requiring me not to
make absolute advance COM
mitments, but to use my judg-
ment according to the circum-
stances Of the time"
The resolution authorizes the
President to employ American
armed forces to protect For
mosa and such related posi-
tions and territories Of that
area now in friendly hands
and the taking of such other
measures as he judges to be
required are appropriate in in
rsuring the defense of Formosa. 4"
The whole tenor Of that 1858
presidential speech, however,
was a warning to the Commu-
nists that America would fight
to prevent Red conquest of
Quemoy and Matsu on the
principle that There will be
no retreat in the face of armed
aggression"
Appeasement Barred
He warned then that it would
be folly to surrender pieces of
free territory in the hope that
this will satisfy the appetite
of the aggressor and we shall
have peace"
Much as Mr.. Nixon did yes
terday, the President asserted
in 1858 that "the policy Of ap-
I.I..I NTNI &C