Editorial Note
On September 22, in New York, Mr. Dulles and other United States officials discussed a Japanese peace settlement with Mr. Percy Spender, Minister of External Affairs and External Territories of Australia. No full memorandum of this conversation has been found, nor is it listed in the section headed “Conversations with FEC Nations” in an undated, unsigned document titled “Major Papers Regarding Japanese Peace Treaty and Pacific Pact.” (694.001/1–1651) This document covers the period July 20, 1950, through January 13, 1951.
In a briefing paper on the Japanese peace settlement, prepared for President Truman’s use at the Wake Island Conference of October 14, the following paragraph is part of a section devoted to the results of preliminary talks with FEC powers:
“Australia has indicated that it would be politically impossible for any Australian Government to enter into a ‘liberal’ Japanese peace treaty without firm guarantees against Japanese aggression. Although there is reason to think that there are differences of view between Prime Minister Menzies and Minister of External Affairs Spender on the point, the latter has expressed the intent of his Government to hold out for a Pacific Pact as the price for a liberal treaty with Japan.” (795.00/10–1250)
In his memoir, Sir Percy states in part that at the September 22 conversation he was shown the seven-point memorandum (of September 11, page 1296), and then told Mr. Dulles “... Australia would not, under any circumstances, accept such a treaty.” For his full account, see Sir Percy Spender, Exercises in Diplomacy (New York, New York University Press, 1969), pages 44–48.
For conversations held between American and Australian officials with regard to a Pacific Pact, see pages 1 ff. For certain other conversations in which that subject is mentioned, see pages 189 ff.