Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume XII, Part 1

790.5/11–2654

Memorandum by the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy)

secret

[Washington,] November 26, 1954.

Subject:

• Discussion with CIA and Defense representatives regarding cooperation under Article II of the Manila Pact.

Following our meeting with the Secretary on November 23,¹ on the Manila Pact and his approval of the general line recommended on cooperation in the counter subversive field under Article II of the Pact, Mr. Sebald and I met with Mr. Bissell of CIA² and Mr. Godel³ of Defense on Wednesday, November 24.

We reported to them briefly the developments on a possible meeting of the Manila Pact Foreign Ministers in January and the steps which we contemplated both within the Government and internationally in preparation for such a meeting.

We then tabled the attached paper⁴ (this is the principal one discussed with the Secretary), and emphasized that it was a first effort and represented no formal position, but was rather to serve as a basis of discussion. In the very general discussion which followed, both Mr. Bissell and Mr. Godel said that our paper seemed a good start. The upshot of the discussion was that they agreed to take the paper back and consider it with a view to bringing further comments or suggestions to a meeting on Tuesday, November 30.⁵

I also informed them of Sir Roger Makins’ approach to the Secretary requesting advance consultation between the U.S. and the U.K. on matters which would be dealt with in the Manila Pact meeting.⁶ Mr. Bissell undertook to obtain CIA views regarding such advance consultation with the British on the question of counter subversive activities for our next meeting on Tuesday.

1. See footnote 1, p. 982.
2. Richard Bissell, Special Assistant to the Director of the CIA.
3. William H. Godel, Deputy Director, Office of Special Operations.
4. Except for two changes, this paper is identical to the one at Tab D to Sebald’s memorandum of Nov. 19, p. 985. The changes are as follows: the word “appropriate” is inserted before the word “information” in paragraph 2c; there is a new clause at the end of paragraph 2d which reads “(4) where possible, supplying equipment for strengthening local security forces.”
5. No record of this meeting has been found in Department of State files.

6. Sir Roger had made this request during a conversation held with the Secretary on Nov. 23.

   “The Secretary said he felt that if there were going to be any exchange of views between the U.S. and the U.K., it would also be useful to bring in the Australians and New Zealanders. Sir Roger expressed full concurrence. With respect to exchanges on military planning, the Secretary said he perceived no objection to informal exchanges in military planning but that this was primarily a matter for the military, and directed Mr. MacArthur to get in touch with the Department of Defense to put Sir Roger’s proposal to them. The Secretary said that any such private exchanges should be kept most confidential since it would create real problems with our other Manila Pact partners—particularly the Asians—if the impression got around that we were in fact forming some kind of a four-power white Standing Group. The Secretary also said he felt that exchanges between the U.S., U.K., Australian, and New Zealand military could be carried on confidentially.” (Memorandum of conversation, by MacArthur 790.5/11–2354)