United States Makes New Appraisal Of Asia Policy

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27603, 9 March 1955, Page 13

United States Makes New Appraisal Of Asia Policy

NEW YORK, March 7. The Administration has made a new and solemn appraisal of the military and political situation in Asia as a result of the visit of the Secretary of State (Mr Dulles), writes James Reston, chief Washington correspondent of the “New York Times,” today. In short, says Reston, the Secretary of State has returned from his arduous swing through South-east Asia more convinced than when he went away that a firm policy in opposition to any additional Communist expansion is essential to block the crumbling away of Allied authority in that region.

Washington and London are now closer together on the premise that any retreat at this moment, even on. the offshore islands, would encourage a general deterioration of the Allied position throughout the area, and even threaten the Malay Peninsula,” Reston claims. The conclusions under the new United States appraisal are understood to be: The United States must stand firm in the face of Communist China’s threats if South-east Asia is to be held.

Peking has exploited the armistice in Korea and the partition of IndoChina with considerable success. Any retreat by Washington now not only would jeopardise the United States security in South-east Asia, but also would adversely affect Washington’s relations with Japan.

Authorisation by the Senate to use United States armed forces to secure and protect Formosa and the Pescadores has had a good effect on the wavering Asian governments. But these governments will be inclined to make a deal with Peking If Washington stands by and allows the “related positions and territories of that area (Quemoy and the Matsu Islands) to be overrun.”

Additional military aid to Nationalist China and additional economic aid to South-east Asia must be forthcoming to bolster the Allied defences. In particular, renewed efforts should be made to help settle the reparations and other problems dividing Japan and the South-east Asian countries if Japan’s serious economic population problems are to be minimised. Reston says that the military estimate of the situation in the Formosa Strait, now generally accepted in official quarters in Washington, is:

(1) The Chinese Communists are not likely to attempt an all-out amphibious invasion of Quemoy and the Matsu group in the next six months. (2) Instead, they are likely to depend primarily for the next few months on greatly increased artillery attacks on these islands.

(3) A serious attempt might be made to seize one of the Matsu group to bring the Matsus within easy artillery range. But, again, the outlook is for increased and prolonged shelling rather than for a mass attack to overwhelm the defenders.

(4) Additional military equipment must be sent to the Nationalists to deal with these attacks, and the antiaircraft batteries on Formosa and the Pescadores should be strengthened to deal with the more remote possibility of aerial attacks.

With additional aid, the feeling in Washington is that the Nationalists will be able to deal with any prolonged artillery assault on the offshore islands. “Position Not to be Weakened” “But if they are not,” Reston adds, “it is now being said here in stronger terms than before that the United States will not allow its position to be weakened from Japan to Malaya by a victorious assault on the Nationalist territories.”

Japan is in serious economic straits. Her natural trade outlets are Communist China, which is now angling for more such trade. The Japanese realise that even if the trade restrictions with Peking are removed they cannot expect to revive the kind of trade they once had with Continental China.

Therefore, their hope is turning, as it turned in the fateful years before Pearl Harbour, to South-east Asia. That is their most likely market, and Washington is coming to realise more and more that if South-east Asia goes, the Japanese alliance will be on boggy ground. Reston says that the British are now reappraising their estimates of Peking’s objectives. They still want an honest cease-fire in the Formosa Strait—as does Mr Dulles—but they do not propose any deal over Matsu and Quemoy to achieve this objective.

False Teeth for Three-year-Old.— Michael Fensome, aged 3, of Langold, Nottinghamshire, is believed to be the youngest person in Britain with false teeth. The Notts County Council provided them, filed to a suitable size, when Michael’s teeth decayed and were takbn out. He will use them for three years.—London, March »