Office of the Historian

59. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Republic of China0

Washington, September 6, 1961, 10:40 p.m.

158. For Ambassador. Present following letter from President Kennedy to Chiang Kai-shek as soon as possible.1

“Dear Mr. President:

I have given careful thought to your letter of August 26.2 I will not conceal from you my deep disappointment that you would utilize the [Page 135] veto in circumstances that would prevent the admission not only of Outer Mongolia but also of Mauritania to the United Nations.

It is clear that even though we share the common goal of preventing the admission of the Chinese Communists to the United Nations you are not persuaded that a veto on Outer Mongolia would inevitably have very serious consequences for the Chinese representation question. Briefly, the United States has concluded that a satisfactory resolution of this question may prove the decisive element in determining whether we can prevent the replacement of the GRC by the Chinese Communists in the United Nations this fall. I am sure you must be in possession, through your able representative in New York, of the same hard facts that lead us to this conclusion.

This matter is of such vital importance to the United States that if we are unable to reach agreement I am sure you will understand that we must reserve our freedom to pursue whichever avenue we consider best calculated to advance the objective which we both seek. (Appropriate complimentary close.)”

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 303/9-661. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution; Verbatim Text. Drafted by Officer in Charge of General Assembly and United Nations Organization Affairs Alfred Wellons and Deputy Director of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs William B. Buffum; cleared by McConaughy, Cleveland, and Bundy; and approved and signed by Rusk.↩
  2. Telegram 226 from Taipei, September 7, reported that the letter had been delivered to the Foreign Ministry that day for transmittal to Chiang. (Ibid., 303/9-761)↩
  3. Transmitted in telegram 195 from Taipei, August 27. (Ibid., Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204) See the Supplement.↩