Office of the Historian

793.001/10–2752: Telegram

No. 56
The Chargé in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State1

secret
Taipei, October 27, 1952—noon.

436. Dept pass Defense. During call on Generalissimo Oct 25 with Foster, Nash, Bendetsen,2 Chase and myself present, fol matters came up:

1.
Asked re capabilities of ChiComs in SE Asia, Generalissimo thought they cld overrun IC, Thailand, Burma whenever they wished unless opposed by US ground forces in addition to naval and air forces. Responding to question whether ChiNat forces might be able help, he saw no purpose sending his troops to IC but expressed firm belief they cld play decisive part in supporting SE Asia by landing on “mainland.”
2.
Generalissimo remarked ChiComs cld attack Formosa with 50 percent chance of success but their chances wld be far less in face of ChiNat landing on mainland.
3.
Answering query re utility of sending ChiNat troops to Korea, Generalissimo said it wld provide valuable training for them and encourage surrenders of ChiCom troops. He did not believe it cld contribute decisively to course of events in Korea.

Comment: Generalissimo’s remarks evidently influenced by poor opinion of French and his paramount aim of returning to mainland. He did not specify what part of mainland he preferred invade. This doubtless wld be affected by circumstances at time but he probably shares PriMin Ch’en Ch’eng’s view that the stronger the ChiNats are on D–Day the farther north they shld land. Generalissimo avoided “renewing” offer of troops for Korea but said nothing to indicate he wld not do so on mutually satisfactory basis, presumably involving two divisions to be fully equipped by US upon arrival in Korea so as not to weaken Formosa defenses by taking scarce equipment from here.

Rankin

  1. Repeated to Manila for Allison, Foster, and Radford. Assistant Secretary Allison toured U.S. Missions in the Far East Sept. 26–Nov. 6. He was in Formosa Oct. 30–Nov. 6. No memoranda of his conversations in Taipei have been found in Department of State files, but an informal report on his trip, undated, which includes a brief report on his visit to Formosa is in file 110.15 AL/12–552.

    Deputy Secretary of Defense was making an inspection tour of U.S. installations.

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  2. Under Secretary of the Army Karl R. Bendetsen.↩