September 11, 1958


MY FRIENDS: Tonight I want to talk to you about the
situation, dangerous to peace, which has developed in the Formosa
Straits in the Far East. My purpose is to give you its basic facts and
then my conclusions as to our Nation's proper course of action.

To begin, let us remember that traditionally this country and its
Government have always been passionately devoted to peace with honor,
as they are now. We shall never resort to force in settlement of
differences except when compelled to do so to defend against
aggression and to protect our vital interests.

This means that, in our view, negotiations and conciliation should
never be abandoned in favor of force and strife. While we shall never
timidly retreat before the threat of armed aggression, we would
welcome in the present circumstances negotiations that could have a
fruitful result in preserving the peace of the Formosa area and
reaching a solution that could be acceptable to all parties concerned
including, of course, our ally, the Republic of China.

On the morning of August 23d the Chinese Communists opened a severe
bombardment of Quemoy, an island in the Formosa Straits off the China
Coast. Another island in the same area, Matsu, was also attacked.
These two islands have always been a part of Free China--never under
Communist control.

This bombardment of Quemoy has been going on almost continuously ever