Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI, Part 1

790B.00/11–351

The Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Allison) to Frank C. Nash, Assistant for International Security Affairs to the Secretary of Defense (Lovett)

top secret

Washington, December 11, 1951.

My Dear Mr. Nash: In accordance with the suggestion made in your letter of November 3, 1951,¹ a meeting was arranged between Mr. Young² and Major Mitchell of the Department of Defense and several officers of the Department of State to discuss the deteriorating situation in Burma and to consider steps that might be taken to improve conditions. A copy of the memorandum of conversation covering this meeting was sent to Mr. Young.³

Following a suggestion made at the meeting, the Consul in Singapore⁴ was instructed to interview Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, British Commissioner General for Southeast Asia, on his return from a visit to Burma, in order to discuss the general situation in Burma and seek his views, on possible joint or coordinated action. Unfortunately, Mr. MacDonald had come to the conclusion that aside from the discreet rapport already existing between the United Kingdom and the United States in relation to Burma there is no joint or coordinated action that would offer any prospect of effecting an improvement in the situation. He also expressed the opinion that in a military way nothing additional could be done.

The preliminary draft of a paper on the situation in Burma, which was shown to Mr. Young and Major Mitchell, has been revised to embody certain suggestions made by them and is now being considered by the Department for possible submission to the National Security Council.⁵ It is believed that this paper could appropriately be used in connection with a joint study of the situation in Southeast Asia.

Sincerely yours,

John M. Allison

1. Not printed. In this letter, Mr. Nash had suggested that in view of the deteriorating situation in Burma, representatives from the Departments of State and Defense should consult together on United States policy with regard to Burma to explore every action possible to strengthen Burma against Communist subversion and attack. (790B.00/11–351)
2. Kenneth T. Young, Assistant to the Acting Director, Office of Foreign Military Affairs in the office of Mr. Nash.
3. Not printed.
4. John Goodyear.
5. Presumably this draft paper on Burma became part of NSC 124/2 which was adopted by the National Security Council and approved by President Truman on June 25, 1952 (Lot 61D167, Box 2491).