The Charlotte News

Monday, September 8, 1958

THREE EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: The front page reports from Taipei, Formosa, that Communist Chinese shore batteries had blown up a Nationalist Chinese ammunition ship on Quemoy's beach this date as the Communist guns resumed their bombardment of the Nationalist-held offshore island following 2 1/2 days of a self-imposed lull. Although U.S. warships presumably had escorted the ammunition ship to the Quemoy area, there had been no report of U.S. vessels being in the vicinity of the bombardment. The heaviest concentration of fire had been reported on the Quemoy beaches in an apparent attempt to prevent unloading of supplies. The Nationalist Defense Ministry stated that the Communist guns had unleashed a very heavy bombardment during the early afternoon, but that the volume of fire had become sporadic later. Unconfirmed reports said that Nationalist planes had made their first bombing runs of the Formosa Strait war against mainland gun positions after the shelling of Quemoy had resumed, following the Nationalists having announced that they would bomb the Communist artillery post if the Communists resumed their attack. The same report said that Nationalist planes were engaged in a furious dogfight over Weitou, 7.5 miles northeast of Quemoy, where the Communists had their largest guns, blamed for the artillery attacks both on the Quemoy beach and on the main military hospital on Quemoy. In the air, the Nationalists claimed their biggest victory thus far, shooting down seven Communist MIG jets and damaging two in a ten-minute battle near Swatow, 130 miles south of Quemoy. The Nationalists said that one of their Super Sabrejets had been hit but had returned to base without difficulty. It was the first reported American escort of a daylight convoy to Quemoy, although sources disclosed that U.S. ships had been accompanying supply ships to Quemoy at night since the previous Wednesday. The U.S. action challenged Peiping's recent proclamation which had extended Communist China's territorial waters to 12 miles from shore and beyond Quemoy. The U.S. had rejected the extension, saying that it would continue to observe the internationally recognized three-mile limit. The escorting ships remained some seven miles from the Communist Chinese mainland. Peiping Radio charged that the American ships were violating Chinese waters and broadcast a "serious warning" from its Foreign Ministry. An air battle had taken place the previous day over the Formosa Strait, 23 miles east of the Tenghai base at which the Communists had recently established 50 MIG-17's.

In London, it was reported via Peiping Radio that Communist China's Chairman Mao Tse Tung had said this date that talks over the Formosa situation with the U.S. in Warsaw "might lead to some results provided both sides wanted to settle the question." Mao spoke to the Supreme State Council, and the broadcast indicated that he had been hopeful about the ambassadorial talks between China and the U.S. to begin in Warsaw. Premier Chou En-lai had proposed talks with the U.S. at the ambassadorial level the prior Saturday. The talks had been broken off the previous December 12, after 73 meetings in Geneva, having begun in 1955 regarding the issue of release of American prisoners held in Communist China, turning to other issues once most of those prisoners had been released. The White House later issued a statement welcoming the offer, indicating that U.S. Ambassador Jacob Beam in Warsaw was prepared to meet with Communist China's ambassador there. The U.S. previously had suggested on August 1 transfer of the talks to Warsaw. Although Mao had given approval to the talks, the Peiping Radio broadcast said that he again attacked the U.S., quoting him as having said: "U.S. imperialism is creating tension all over the world in an attempt to attain its aggressive aims and to enslave the peoples of various countries. The present situation is favorable for people all over the world who are fighting for peace." The broadcast said that Mao had pointed out that the "general trend was that of the east wind prevailing over the west wind." That begins to sound like another Pearl Harbor in the offing.

Also from Taipei, it was reported that General Curtis LeMay, vice-chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, had met with Chiang Kai-shek this date and had also dined with him at his home in the suburbs.

At Vatican City, Pope Pius XII had called on Catholics in Communist China to hold firm in their faith against attacks by the Communist regime. His message had been contained in an encyclical letter dated June 29 and released this date by the Vatican press office.

In Leipzig, East Germany, it was reported that Deputy Premier Heinrich Rau had hinted strongly this date that the Communists were considering a new blockade of isolated West Berlin, encircled by East German territory, presumably reminiscent of that which had occurred in 1948-49—lending much credence to the suggestion this date by Joseph Alsop in his piece summarized below from the editorial page, that the situation regarding Quemoy and Matsu held propitiatory possibilities inviting, in the event of surrender of or retreat from those small islands, Communist conquest of Western Europe, most especially West Berlin, so valuable to the Western alliance.

In Algiers, it was reported that French troops mounting an operation south of Constantine, had reported this date that they had killed 89 Algerian Nationalists and captured 11, with French losses not reported.

In Seoul, South Korea, South Korean Defense Ministry sources said this date that six or seven Communist North Korean soldiers had staged a predawn attack this date along the demilitarized zone, killing one South Korean soldier and wounding another.

In Nice, France, it was reported that French actress Brigitte Bardot had announced her engagement to a young guitarist, Sacha Distel. She had been divorced the previous December from Roger Vadim, who had directed the films which had made her famous.

On the editorial page, Joseph Alsop finds that the only way to make sense of the situation in the Formosa Strait was to distinguish between the reason for the existing situation and the policy for dealing with it, that is the decision to use U.S. forces if necessary for the defense of Quemoy and the Matsus. The principal points which had been discussed by leading American policymakers during the previous three weeks had been, first, the potential for loss of the islands, resulting in the subsequent loss of Formosa. Chiang Kai-shek had committed nearly a third of his Army and more than a third of his best troops on Quemoy and the Matsus, and also had a large share of his best American military equipment on those islands, nearly a half billion dollars worth. The Formosa combination of mainland leadership and native population was inherently fragile. A major defeat in the offshore islands would shake Chiang's Government to its foundations, opening up opportunity for the Communists to engage in subversion.