A Fuller Explanation

The State Department did its best to keep out of the line of fire on the MacArthur controversy last week, but luck was against it. On the day of the big MacArthur headlines, another story made an embarrassing contrast: Britain had "suggested" to the State Department that Communist China should be allowed to sit in on negotiations of a Japanese treaty (with the Nationalists barred, of course), and that Formosa should eventually be given to the Chinese Reds.

Something had to be done fast in Foggy Bottom. Already, Republicans on Capitol Hill and plain citizens everywhere were crying that MacArthur had been sacked to appease Britain. Brusquely the State Department announced: "The United States recognizes the National Government of China and has not and does not contemplate discussions with the Peking regime regarding the Japanese peace settlement." And, even though the British hadn't brought the subject up, State added: "The United States has vigorously opposed the admission of the Peking regime to the United Nations. We shall continue to follow that policy." Actually, this was pretty muscular talk for State: the last time it was heard from, it had only said that it would not veto Communist China's admission to U.N.

In London, a spokesman for the Foreign Office told newsmen that Britain would continue to press the U.S. to be nice to Mao Tse-tung.

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