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

790.5/11–3054

Memorandum by the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur) to the Secretary of State¹

confidential

[Washington,] November 30, 1954.

Subject:

• Possible Meeting of the Manila Pact Foreign Ministers

We met last week and again Monday, November 29,² with representatives of the Manila Pact Governments concerning the possibility of a meeting of Foreign Ministers in Bangkok in January. The Pakistani, French, and UK representatives are still without definite views of their Governments on the date for such meeting. (The UK, while still preferring Singapore as the site, intimated they would go along with Bangkok if this was the desire of the others.)

In yesterday’s meeting, the representatives, without committing their Governments, agreed to recommend that Foreign Ministers meet in Bangkok on January 19, with the proviso that final decision by the governments on whether to hold the meeting then or later should be made by December 13. The reason for postponing a decision on when the meeting should take place is that the French Government believes that if all ratifications can take place by mid-February it would be preferable to hold the meeting then, since this would mean that the meeting would be of the Manila Council rather than a meeting of Foreign Ministers. If indeed we could be certain that all ratifications would be completed by mid-February, there would be some merit in a meeting then. However, this seems doubtful, particularly if the French Government decides that the treaty must be submitted to its Parliament, in which case French ratification would not come until March or possibly later depending on the vagaries of French internal politics. (Although it is not likely, if it were virtually certain that all ratifications would be in by mid-February, would you be willing to attend a meeting in Bangkok at that time?)

It was agreed that there should be thorough preparation for the meeting of the Ministers, whenever it occurs, and a working group of representatives of the governments will begin preparation here on Monday, December 6. I have undertaken to circulate to the other representatives by December 1 an informal working paper containing suggestions on establishment of the Council and organizational arrangements. I have also undertaken to attempt to have ready by December 6 an informal working paper concerning military activities.³ (This paper will be produced by the Department of Defense whose representatives will this week discuss this matter on an informal and individual basis with military representatives of New Zealand, the UK, and the other Manila Pact Governments.)

I attach for your approval a draft of the paper which I propose to circulate to the other representatives tomorrow. This paper combines the two papers you approved in our meeting on Nov. 23.

D[ouglas] MacA[rthur]

[Attachment]

Draft United States Informal Working Paper⁴

confidential

[Washington,] November 23, 1954.

Manila Pact

establishment of the council and rules of procedure

1. The Governments normally will be represented by Foreign Ministers (or their designated representatives).

2. The Council should meet when deemed necessary by the members, and in any event, at least once each year.

3. The Council should have no fixed site for meeting but should hold its meetings in the various capitals or other places agreed by the members.

4. The Council should elect a Chairman to preside at each meeting (normally the Foreign Minister of the host Government).

5. Substantive decisions should be taken by unanimous agreement of the members of the Council.

6. Meetings of the Council would normally be closed except for such public and ceremonial sessions as the Council might decide appropriate.

organizational agreements

1. In order to assure close and continuing cooperation when the Council is not in session, the members of the Council agree to designate individuals in their diplomatic missions in ----- to maintain liaison on matters relating to the Treaty.

2. These representatives shall constitute the principal channel for exchanging information among the member governments and, from time to time, may be directed by the Council to perform specific tasks.

3. These representatives shall be assisted by a small secretariat whose personnel shall be made available on a contributed basis by the member governments.⁵

1. Drafted by Galloway.
2. Gleysteen’s minutes of this meeting, misdated Nov. 30, are in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 432.
3. See circular telegram 288, Dec. 6, p. 1031.
4. Drafted by Galloway.
5. On the source text next to this paragraph is a marginal notation (in MacArthur’s handwriting) which reads: “Mr. Secretary—For tactical reasons we will not include this paragraph in the paper we give the other Manila Powers but will use this in the working group as a U.S. ‘concession’. D”.