STALEMATE LIKELY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28697, 22 September 1958, Page 11

STALEMATE LIKELY

Blockade Of Quemoy

(Rec. 11 p.m.) TAIPEH, September 20.

The Quemoy Islands situation would almost certainly remain a stalemate until results of the Chinese-American talks in Warsaw were known, authoritative Nationalist government sources said today. Both American and Nationalist sources have said that the supply position in blockaded Quemoy must be improved if the islands are to survive as Nationalist outposts, but there has been no indication of any large scale new plan to relieve them. Nor have the Communists given any indication they are prepared to go beyond their present tactics —heavy but sporadic artillery bombardment and sea or air interception of American-Nationalist escorted sea convoys. Nationalist armed service sources said they had thought the Communists might have reacted violently in order to “save face” after sea and air actions in the Formosa Straits which in two days are claimed to have cost them five M.I.G. jet fighters, two patrol craft and a torpedo boat. This reaction had not happened so far, they said.

Vice-Admiral Wallace Beakley, commander of the American 7th Fleet which is cruising off the east of Formosa, said yesterday the peak of the fleet’s active participation in the Formosa Strait crisis had relaxed in the last few days.

Vice-Admiral Beakley said that the Communists appeared to have reacted less to the beginning of the Warsaw talks than had his own fleet, in the sense that their activity had not slackened. At the. same time United States Air Force Marine jet forces have increased their part in Formosan defence, and a co-ordinated American command, responsible direct to the Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific in Honolulu, has been set up in Formosa. American sources would not comment on this change but Nationalist sources said they considered it insignificant. They predicted that it showed America was prepared for heavier participation in attempts to relieve Quemoy and that American forces in Formosa would further increase.