Evening star., 1960-10-16

u CO1u1Och OOC0 llLU1c 10 SCI
over Quemoy and Matsu, but
argument is about and Why it
Much the same arguments
and Senator Kennedy In their
speeches enlivened Senate and
House discussions early in 1855,
At that thine, the Senate had
before it for ratification a de-
fense treaty between the United
States and Nationalist China,
there was talk Of United Ma
tions action to bring about a
cessation Of Red Chinese she'll
ing Of the islands and President
Eisenhower requested adoption
Of a resolution to, give him
backing for the use Of American
force to protect Formosa.
Neither Senator Kennedy nor
Mr.. Nixon was publicly active
on the issue. Mr.. Nixon, as the
Senate's presiding officer,
neither voted nor spoke on the
issue in the Senate. Senator
Kennedy was recuperating in
Florida from back surgery. He
returned to the Senate May %,
1855.
Support for Both
The record shows the Demo-
cratic presidential candidate
correctly declares this country
has no specific Commitment by
treaty or otherwise, to help de-
fend the two small islands only
1ive miles OF the Red China
cast.
It also gives the Republican
candidate considerable evidence
to support his claim that the
1855 resolution and various con-
temporary comments and in
terpretations sanction such a
move If necesSary-or at least
keep the Chinese Communists
guessing about United States
intentions.
Nevertheless, the congression-
al resolution resulting from
President Eisenhower's request
for express authorization to
use United States armed forces
If necessary to the defense Of
Formosa and the PeScadores
apparently provides no clear
cut answers to:
!. The Vice Presidents con-
tentio nthat Senator Kennedy.
In saying the islands are not
defensible and that the United
States is committed only to
protect Formosa and the Pes
cadores, conflicts in substan-
tial degree with the views ex-
pressed by Congress and the
President.
2. Senator Kennedy's charge
that Mr.. Nixon, in saying the
islands should be defended as
Q matter of principle, goes be-
yond the Eisenhower admin
istration's position Of using
American power to defend the
islands If an attack on them
is seen as the prelude to an at
tack on Formosa. 4
Nixon Pulls Back
Mr.. Nixon. in a Friday night
speech in California, appeared
to pull back a bit from his pre-
vious position. He advocated a
continuation Of present policy.
That policy. as Mr.. Nixon de-
fined it. is to defend Formosa
and any attack directed to-
ward It,"
The unspoken issue under
lying the contentious Of both
sides Is the wisdom Of defend
ing the islands rather than
any commitment the United
States may have to them.
The Formosa resolution
adopted by Congress clearly
leaves this to the Judgment of
the President, whoever he way
be. In fact, debate on the reso-
luton indicated that it may be
interpreted as authorizing the
President to take any measures
he deems necessary to protect
Formosa. including direct ac-
ton against Chinese Reds on
the mainland.
The Formosa resolution went
through the House. 41O to 3.
on January Is, 1855, only a !
day after Mr.. Eisenhower re-
Quested it.
The Senate approved the
resolution three days later,
IS to 3. Senator Morse, Demo-
crat of Oregon: former Senator |
Lehman, Democrat of New
York. and the late Senator
LANCER, Republican of North |
Dakota, made up the minority. |
Senator Kennedy announced
for passage.
Lehman Rider Defeated
A more significant Senate
vote, however, was the 74-to-13
defeat Of Senator Lehman's |
proposal to specify that the de-
fense authorization was limited
to Formosa and the Pescadores.
Previously the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee had re-
jected a similar proposal by
Senator Humphrey. Democrat !
Of Minnesota.
Senator Kennedy, neither a
mmeber Of the Foreign Rela-
tionS Committee at the time
nor present in the Senate,
paired in favor Of the Lehman
amendment. His running mate,
Senator Johnson, paired
against.
This Lehman resolution and
its defeat by a 74-to-13 vote is
the vote referred to by Mr..
Nixon in Thursdays debate as
the "70-to-12" vote on all
amendment which Senator
nN~T