Man of War

Red China simply could not for long wear the mask of peace: the role was unnatural. Last week, after all his Geneva talk of a desire for a little peace and quiet, Chou En-lai proclaimed that Cornmunist China's next order of business is to invade Formosa. "It is imperative that the People's Republic of China liberate Taiwan," cried Chou. In the achievement of this "glorious historic mission," Red China will not tolerate interference from "United States aggressive circles. If they dare interfere . . . they must take upon themselves all the grave consequences."

In his speech, delivered on the eve of British Labor Party Leader Clement Attlee's arrival in Peking (see below), Chou dismissed Attlee's suggestion that Formosa be placed under U.N. trusteeship. "Taiwan is inviolable Chinese territory," Chou declared. "Its liberation . . . is an exercise of China's sovereignty and China's own internal affair." The Red Premier accused the U.S. of occupying Red Chinese territory by sending arms and instructors to help Formosa defend itself. "This increases the danger of war."

Did this mean that Chou Enlai, cocky after his victory in Indo-China, was now ready to attack across the Formosa Strait, even at the risk of taking on the U.S. Navy? His words clearly implied that; but U.S. intelligence has reported no unusual military buildup along the China coast during the past six months.

A likelier possibility is that the Reds will beat the war drums until war over Formosa seems imminent and inevitable.

Nehru will be apprehensive. So will the British. Whitehall will get on the phone to Washington, urging the U.S. not to start World War III over a "faraway island" governed by one whom 71-year-old Clement Attlee calls "an old man [commanding] aging forces." By this time (if old patterns repeat themselves), the U.S. will be made to seem a warlike power, and Chou En-lai will step forward, ready to settle everything--if only he is given Formosa or a free seat in the U.N.

If the U.S. stands firm, resisting its allies' pressure, Chou will have lost nothing, and enjoyed provoking a new split between the U.S. and Britain. But what if the U.S. weakens under its allies' pressure? Formosa may be lost by default.

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