Wednesday, 18 January

Sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, Yiwei year

The American Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, spoke to Mr. Shepley, a reporter of Life Magazine.  He said that in the past two years because the United States had adopted a tough attitude, possible war had been avoided three times. 1) When Syngman Rhee released the Chinese communist captives, had the CCP launched another war, the Americans would have bombarded the Northeast using atomic weapons. This was told by the Indian Prime Minister Nehru to the CCP authority. 2) In the battle of Dien Bien Phu of Vietnam, Germany discussed with Britain that it wanted to join. France and other anti-communist countries in Asia fought against the Vietnamese Communists. Dulles flew to Britain and discussed this matter with the British Government. At the same time, America dispatched two aircraft carriers, Boxer and The Philippine Sea, which carried atomic weapons to proceed to the war zones. Eden had originally agreed to take joint action. But when Dulles returned to the United States, Eden raised the resolution of the British Parliament that Britain would have to shrink back at the last minute. But America showed determination in its stance, which made the Chinese communists and the Soviet Union draw back. 3) When the Chinese communists launched attacks on various targets in the Taiwan Strait, America made a clear indication to the CCP that if the latter attacked Matsu and Jinmen Islands, the United States would consider such an attack to be an attack on Taiwan. Therefore, the Chinese communists toned down their stance.

After this article was published, it stirred a big uproar in British public opinion. American newspapers and the opposition party also gave much criticism. This morning when Dulles made a public statement to the press, he absolutely did not deny what he had said before. He said his words were intended to prove that for the sake of peace, the US should not allow the aggressor to think that America is feeble-minded. This was not devoid of danger, but as the late General Arthur H. Vandenberg said, “it is a calculated risk for peace”. Though international newspapers have printed many unwelcoming remarks towards Dulles’ words, I thought we should not criticize him too much. To show weakness before an enemy is really the biggest reason for the start of any war. In modern diplomatic history, such precedents are abundant.