893.50 Recovery/2–2549: Telegram
The Consul General at Taipei (Krentz) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 25—6:51 a. m.]
51. For Butterworth. Have talked to Lapham, Moyer,78 others at length re ECA plans here. I strongly believe any major plans should be deferred time being and no firm commitments made beyond normal [Page 290] fertilizer program preproject surveys and small continuing selected RRC projects such as serum stations, etc.
Under deteriorating conditions plus nebulous and changing political conditions I consider aid should not precede larger policy decisions. On last point I also consider that picking Taiwan as isolated area divorced from mainland holds danger Department will know.
I believe we should now mark time hoping for changes which may enable us obtain self-help conditions on more certain terms than hitherto.
Sent Department 51, repeated Nanking 44.
- Raymond T. Moyer, American member of the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR).↩