FUTURE STATUS OF FORMOSA

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26151, 29 June 1950, Page 5

FUTURE STATUS OF FORMOSA

COMMENT BY MR TRUMAN WASHINGTON, June 27 Explaining his order to the 7th Fleet, Mr Truman said: “I am calling upon the Chinese Government on Formosa to cease ail air and sea operations against the mainland. The 7th Fleet will see that this is done. "The determination of the future status of Formosa must await the restoration of security in the Pacific, the peace settlement with Japan, or consideration by the United Nations.”

.The 7th Fleet includes the medium aircraft carrier Valley Forge, and other ships are the heavy cruiser Rochester, six destroyers, two escort destroyers, three submarines, one seaplane tender, one fleet tanker, and one highspeed marine transport.

In addition to the 7th Fleet the United States Navy has in Japan one light cruiser and four destroyers under General MacArthur’s direct command.

A United States Army spokesman said that orders to General MacArthur to begin giving air and sea support to South Korea went out shortly before midnight last night. The orders gave General MacArthur a general directive and left it to him to decide the details.

The United States Air Force announced that it had 509 aeroplanes in the Far East, of which 473 were combat craft. They included 30 829 Superfortresses and five fighter groups of 75 aeroplanes each.

The Secretary of Defence (Mr Louis Johnson) said that the United States was doing what the Security Council had asked it to do in the resolution passed on June 25.

He said that the United States had not committed land troops for action by the statement issued to-day by the President.

Mr Johnson said that no orders had been issued for any mobilisation or partial mobilisation within the United States itself, and it was not intended at the moment.

Asked whether the United States a’r forces would operate from fields in South Korea, Mr Johnson replied: “Moscow would like an answer to that question.”