China and Formosa – a situation not destined to change anytime soon.
News and Commentary – Fulton Lewis Jr. – Mutual – May 3, 1955
Contrary to the widely repeated belief that News was the exclusive property of the political Left – one example that belief was simply not true comes by way of Mutual Broadcasting’s Fulton Lewis Jr., whose News and Commentary were staunchly right-wing in nature and delivery. He was a widely respected journalist on both sides of the coin, which gives further evidence Freedom Of The Press is not something dictated by censorship, but by something called The Fairness Doctrine which maintained a balance in journalism and programming. Just so you know.
In any case, here is a slice of what happened, May 3, 1955:
President Eisenhower put his 3½ million – dollar foreign – aid program before a generally receptive delegation of the congressional leaders of both parties today. The President and Secretary of State Dulles also canvassed the whole world scene in what apparently was both a cooperative and a somewhat cheerful bipartisan meeting on high policy, Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, the Democratic floor leader of the Senate, summarized by saying that the President and Dulles had given a “helpful and hopeful” report. The prospect for peace, Johnson declared, had a more “hopeful and optimistic” cast than in the recent past.
No New Turn No new turn in the position in the Formosan Strait, where the United States is prepared to disouss a cease – fire with the Chinese Communists even the absence of the Chinese Nationists, was indicated. The position there might be described, said the Democratic foreign-policy spokesman of the Senate, Walter F. George of Georgia, as unchanged but not gloomy.
And Premier Ngo Dinh Diem summoned the National Political Assembly to meet a day early today | in an apparent struggle for power with the National Revolutionary Committee that demands the firing of Bao Dai, absentee chief-of-state. Premier Diem called the delegates to his presidential palace for a meeting today to precede the “States General” called for tomorrow by the revolutionary junta. The junta is expected to dominate tomorrow’s session. Premier Dem reportedly called today’s meeting of the assembly in order to line up support in advance for tomorrow’s meeting of the Revolutionary Committee Sources close to the he would not attend tomorrow’s meeting.
There were reports that Communists had infiltrated the Revolutionary Committee. From Cannes, France, Bao Dai sent a cable today to Premier Diem asking him to disavow all action taken by “a seditious minority which is far from representing our people and carried away by the Communists.” By “seditious he apparently meant the Revolutionary Committee.
And finally – Chinese Communist Premier Chou En-lai recently suggested direct talks with this country about easing tensions in the area, and the President and Secretary of State Dulles said last week they would be glad to engage in such talks. Mr. Dulles emphasized that the first move was to see if the Reds were sincere in their offer to negotiate. When Mr. Eisenhower was asked today if he was considering placing American ground forces–in addition to a training mission already there–on Formosa, he replied that he had thought of everything that might needed.
But he added that he had not heard any recommendation to make Formosa a permanent station for American ground forces.
And that’s a sample of what happened this May 3rd in 1955 with Fulton Lewis Jr. Reporting and analyzing.
