Taiwan Today

February 15. President Chiang was unanimously nominated by the Kuomintang's Central Committee as the Party's presidential candidate for the forthcoming presidential election by the National Assembly. Another group of 149 guerillas from the Burma-Yunnan border jungles arrived in Taipei. February 16. Premier Chen Cheng was nominated by the Kuomintang as the Party's candidate for the Vice-Presidency in the forth­coming election. February 17. Harold Stassen, head of the US Foreign Operations Administration, arrived in Free China on his Far East fact-finding and conference tour. February 18. Dr. Hu Shih, delegate to the National Assembly, returned to Free China to attend the second session of the First National Assembly to be convened on February 19, 1954. February 19. The second session of the National Assembly was convened at the Taipei City Hall with an attendance of 1,487 members. In his address at the opening of the second session of the First National Assembly, President Chiang said the preservation of national existence and recovery of lost territories were the most important points of the program in China's Anti-Communist and Resist-Russia struggle. Foreign Minister George K. C. Yeh charged that the Geneva conference planned by the Big Four to be convened on April 26 with the participation of the Peiping puppet regime was a negation of the principles of the UN Charter, and the Chinese Government and people could not recognize the validity of any decision affecting their interests which might be reached at such conference. In his capacity as the first chairman of the second session of the First National Assembly Dr. Hu Shih stated that the current session of the supreme political body had the historic mission to elect a President and a Vice-President in order to maintain the continuance of Chinese constitutional rule. February 21. US Foreign Operations Administrator Harold E. Stassen said American military aid to Free China would be increased in the coming year. February 22. Secretary of State John F. Dulles told a group of Congressional leaders that "there would be no United States recognition of the Chinese Communist regime involved in the Berlin agreement to call a conference on Far Eastern problems in Geneva. US Senate majority leader William Knowland warned that the forthcoming conference on the Far East must not become a "Far Eastern Munich" leading to the admission of the Chinese Communist puppet regime into the United Nations. In his address before some 30,000 of Free China's crack troops President Chiang said, "Our military mobilization and reserve-training program have instilled new blood into the fighting forces, vastly enhanced Free China's military strength and assured us of our final victory over the Communists." February 23. Secretary of State John F. Dulles assured the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the US would "in no case recognize Communist China." Russia sought in vain again to oust the delegate of the Republic of China and seat a Communist puppet in the UN Human Rights Commission. February 24. An 85-member Presidium of the second session of the First National Assembly was elected. February 25. The Presidium of the National Assembly in its first meeting adopted a resolution to ask the long-absent Vice-President Li Tsung-jen to return to Free China before March 8 to answer the impeachment charges against him before the Assembly session. The Executive Yuan in its regular meeting appointed Wang Chi-cheng as Chinese Ministers to Honduras. February 26. Assistant Secretary of State Walter S. Robertson said the US must not repeat its past mistake of waiting too long to help its Chinese allies. Fourteen overseas Chinese organizations in the Philippines led by the Anti-Communist Resist-Russia League, in a cable to President Eisenhower and Congress, expressed their opposition to the forthcoming Geneva conference and declared they were against any possible resolution of the Conference which might prejudice the interests of China. February 27. Two US destroyers, the "Benson" and "Hilary P. Jones," were handed over to the Chinese navy in a solemn ceremony held at the US naval base in Charleston. March 1. The first meeting of the First National Assembly's current session was held with an attendance of more than 1,200 delegates. President Chiang received Archbishop Paul Yupin in audience to hear the latter's report on the conditions in the United States. March 2. In his report on the domestic and foreign situations before the monthly Presidential office mobilization meeting, Premier Chen Cheng said that the scheduled Geneva conference was a place to force Soviet, Russia to lay its cards on the table. The free world would see more clearly the futility of waiting for Russia's cooperation settling the world's thorny problems, especially the Indo-China war and the Korean unification issue. March 3. Joseph L. Brent, Deputy Chief of the FOA Mission to China, was appointed by the US Foreign Operations Administration as Chief of the China Mission to succeed Dr. Schenck who is now under medical treatment in the US. US Under-Secretary of the Army John Slezak, US Korean Communication Zone Commander Maj.-Gen. William S. Lawton and four other American Army and Air Force officers arrived in Taipei to inspect Free China's logistic situation and to confer with MAAG on related matters. March 4. President and Madame Chiang gave a tea reception in honor of US Under Secretary of the Army John Slezak and US Korean, Communication Zone Commander Maj.-Gen. William S. Lawton who arrived here for a brief visit to Free China. In his administrative report to the 3rd plenary meeting of the National Assembly, Premier Chen Cheng proclaimed that the Government had been making active preparation for the eventual counterattack against the mainland. March 6. US Foreign Operations Administrator Herold Stassen declared at a press conference that the U,S would give continued backing to the armed forces of Free China on Taiwan. In his 30-minute report to the fourth full-dress meeting of the National Assembly, Foreign Minister George Yeh said Free China's foreign policy was based on the spirit of independence and mutual-assistance. The Foreign Minister also gave assurance to non­-Communist nations that their rights and prosperities in China would be given the highest protection when the China mainland was restored to Government rule. The National Assembly adopted a resolution to send a cable to the UN through China's delegate to the United Nations Dr. T. F. Tsiang, voicing China's strong objection to the "Geneva Conference." March 7. President Syngman Rhee of the Republic of Korea charged that "powerful elements" in the US were working for recognition of the Chinese Communist puppet regime. And he warned that the free world would be doomed if the Peiping regime should become a "member of the legitimate family of nations." The Democratic Socialist Party, one of the two minor political parties in Free China in an informal but representative meeting unanimously decided to nominate Acting Chairman Hsu Fu-lin as its presidential candidate in the forthcoming election. March 8. In a message read at a ceremony observing Women's Day, Madame Chiang Kai­-shek said that the counterattack against the mainland was drawing nearer and asked the Chinese women to pledge themselves to work and fight for the country. Dr. Mei Yi-chi, former Tsing Hua University President, returned to Free China to attend the current session of the First National Assembly. March 10. A report from the Thai border said that up to March 6, a total of 1,561 Chinese guerrillas had been evacuated from Burma since the resumption of the evacuation work on February 14, 1954. March 11. Li Tsung-jen, was recalled from his office as Vice-President of the Republic of China by a resolution passed at the sixth meeting of the current session of the National Assembly. The vote was 1,403 for and 40 against the recall, with 38 abstentions. FOA announced its authorization of US$6,980,000 for economic assistance to Free China. March 12. Legislative Yuan President Chang Tao-fan announced at a meeting of the Yuan that he was forwarding a memorandum to Premier Chen Cheng requesting clarification on 13 questions concerning former Taiwan Governor K. C. Wu. Dr. Mei Yi-chi, former President of the National Tsing Hua University declared that most of the 5,000 Chinese students in the US had decided to choose freedom in the US instead of returning to the Chinese Communist- controlled mainland. The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to the Laws Governing the Recall of the President and Vice-President of the Republic. It was announced that Dr. Hu Shih had accepted the invitation of Dr. Chien Shih-liang, Chancellor of the National Taiwan University, to lecture at the University for half a year beginning from this fall. March 13. Upon his return in Korea Major­ General William S. Lawton, US Commander in the Korean Communication Zone, declared that "The people in Formosa appear to be happy and prosperous and one dominant goal expressed everywhere is the determination to fight the Communists." Mr. Hsu Fu-lin, Acting President of the Democratic Socialist Party, formally announced his decision to be a candidate for the Presidency in the forthcoming election. Match 15. The National Assembly passed a resolution requesting the Government to launch a major counter-offensive against the mainland as soon as possible. Independent Mo Teh-hui, longtime advisor to President Chiang, announced his decision to run for the Presidency in the forthcoming election. Reviving the Creative Spirit We should acquire not only Western scientific methods and principles but also discard the century-old habit of dependence and imitation so as to revive the creative genius of our nation. From China's Destiny by President Chiang Kai-shek.