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

694.001/2–23151: Telegram

The Ambassador in New Zealand (Scotten) to the Secretary of State

confidential

Wellington, February 23, 1951—11 a. m.

268. Dulles visit¹ although very brief was in my opinion eminently successful. His able and concise explanation our view Japanese treaty both to full session Cabinet and to Prime Minister and leader opposition separately was well received and although numerous questions were asked to elicit information, I heard no objections voiced. I am convinced our negotiations Japanese treaty at least as far as NZ is concerned will be vastly easier as result this visit. While conversations with Cabinet and Prime Minister obviously confidential our views explained by Dulles in general terms at full-dress press conference. Public opinion and press reaction as voiced editorially shows marked improvement.²

Scotten

1. Mr. Dulles was in New Zealand February 19–21, 1951. His party arrived back in Washington February 26, and he met with the President and other officials on the 27th. No memorandum of the conversation with the President has been found in Department of State files. According to a note of February 26 by Mr. Webb, the appointment was to be of only 15 minutes duration. (Lot 65D238: Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation) For a summary of a White House press release of February 27 regarding Mr. Dulles’ talk with the President, see Public Papers of the President of the United States: Harry Truman, 1951 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1965), p. 176.

   On February 28, Mr. Dulles outlined orally to the Under Secretary’s Meeting the results of his trip to the Far East. This Meeting, held as often as twice a week, considered important policy papers and heard oral presentations on outstanding issues. The Meeting regularly included all the officers in the Department of Assistant Secretary rank and above (or their representatives) with the exception of the Secretary, as well as a number of people of somewhat lower rank who held key positions.

   A summary of Mr. Dulles’ remarks on this occasion is in document UM M–312 in Lot 53D250: The Under Secretary’s Meeting.

   For Mr. Dulles’ broadcast address of March 1, “Laying Foundations for a Pacific Peace,” see Department of State Bulletin, March 12, 1951, p. 403.

2. A number of documents in file 694.001 for January and February 1951 indicate that discussions held by Mr. Dulles with members of the Government of New Zealand were entirely of an exploratory and explanatory nature.