Vital Issues - Vol.4 No.9 - May,1955 - Discussion Guide

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia

Discussion guide from Center for Information on America presenting “A Guide For Better Informed Americans” titled “Vital Issues.” Focuses on U.S. readiness to talk with Communist China, the implications for tensions around the Straits of Formosa, and the broader need for flexible, long-range planning in Asia. Includes quotations from political leaders and provides background framing questions on what Asia is, colonial history, and why U.S. and Western attitudes matter to future stability and human freedom.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

What Should It Be?

What are the best ways to improve the situation?

Asia: What Is It?

Vital Issues MARYGR 1 LI8RAR D三TROiT,MICHIGAN Future Voters PLEASE DO NOT REMOV OUR ASIAN POLICY # DISCUSSION GUIDE “A Guide For Better Informed Americans” Published by the CENTER FOR INFORMATION ON AMERICA WASHINGTON,CONNECTICUT Vol.IV,No.9 May,1955 # WHAT SHOULD IT BE? "The Chinese people do not want to have a war with the UnitedStates of America.The Chinese Government is willing to sit downand enter into negotiations with the United States to discuss·..espe-cially the question of relaxing tension in the Taiwan [Formosa]area." Statement on April 23,1955,by Premier Chou En-lai of Com-munist China at the first conference of Afro-Asian nations,heldat Bandung,Capital of the Indonesian Republic. "...an invitation to another Munich."▲ Comment by Senator William F.Knowland,Republican Minor-ity Leader in the Senate,terming the Red Chinese proposals"unacceptable." "I unhesitatingly say that this nation should be big enough,andgreat enough,through its high officials to sit down and talk. It is time that we should relieve the tensions of this world if wecan." Comment by Senator Walter F.George,Democrat,Chairman ofthe Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. The United States is ready to talk with Communist China about“...anything that doesn't affect the Chinese Nationalists and [if]there seems to be an opportunity for us to further the easing oftensions,the advancement of world peace,and certainly getting backour prisoners...” President Eisenhower at his news conference,April 27. What this adds up to is that the present explosive situationaround the Straits of Formosa may be on the way towards be-coming less critical. In the Far East,we've had our hands full at various trou- ble-spots:Korea,Indo-China,Formosa. That's like checking a forest fire by fighting it around in-dividual trees.Perhaps the surest way to prevent future flare-ups would be for us to take a good look at the entire Asianforest and make over-all but flexible plans.Possibly the bestopportunity to do so is just coming up. We don't want to see more of Asia—where over half theworld's people live--go communist. Such an outcome,we believe,would be disastrous to theprinciples of human freedom for which democracy stands. It would be a serious threat to our own security.What wewish for is a friendly,not a hostile,Asia. What of the good will towards America which WendellWillkie reported he found in Asia during his One World tripin 1942?We know we've been losing a good deal of it. ## What are the best ways to improve the situation? We’ve never really had a long-range,carefully thought-outpolicy for Asia.Past and present events show how much weneed such a program now. Drawings by Stuart Judd,Jr. We,the people,are the final shapers and judges of U.S.policy. It's time for us to try to figure things out in the East. △Conference in 1988 at which Britain and France knuckled under to Hitler's demands threatening the territory and independ-ence of Czechoslovakia. The editors wish to thanke Professor Harry Rudin,Chairman of the Department of History,Yale University,for sugges-tions in the preparation of this Guide. ## ASIA:WHAT IS IT? following their smashing victory in 1757 at the battle ofPlassey.At the very time we were drafting our Constitution,Lord Cornwallis,whom we'd beaten at Yorktown,was takingover in India as British Governor General.What made colon-ialism extra tough for India to bear was the fact that rulefrom abroad was by men not even of the same color.In vari-ous parts of Asia,as Western colonialism spread,men withskins of various shades found themselves governed by whitemen—the French in Indo-China,§and,earlier still,the Dutchin what is now the Indonesian Republic.In China,a greedyscramble was going on among various nations of Europe,in-cluding Russia,to squeeze as many concessions as possible outof the tottering Chinese Empire.Everywhere the Westerncolonial aim was the sam

FAQs

What issue around Formosa (Taiwan) does the guide address?

It addresses the possibility that tensions around the Straits of Formosa may be moving toward becoming less critical and examines how the U.S. might influence that direction.

Which leaders and viewpoints are cited to frame the discussion?

The guide includes statements from Premier Chou En-lai and comments by Senators William F. Knowland and Walter F. George, along with President Eisenhower’s remarks at his news conference.

Why does the guide argue the U.S. should improve its long-range approach to Asia?

It states that the U.S. has not had a long-range, carefully thought-out policy for Asia, and that past and present events show the need for such a program now.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia