Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI

694.001/10–1350

Memorandum of Conversation, by Colonel Stanton Babcock of the Department of Defense

secret

[New York,?] October 13, 1950.

Subject: Japanese Peace Treaty

Participants:	Mr. van Roijen, Netherlands1
	Mr. Dulles
	Mr. Allison
	Col. Babcock

1. Mr. Dulles handed Ambassador van Roijen a memorandum² outlining those points which the Department feels should be included in a Treaty with Japan. He pointed out that this memorandum was both “inclusive” and “exclusive” and explained at some length the philosophy underlying the United States views.

2. The Ambassador said that he felt sure that his government would be in sympathy with the kind of treaty desired by the United States but would no doubt make suggestions with regard to certain details.

3. He said that he felt that it was important to include Indonesia in the preliminary conversation³ at an early date and indicated that it would be to our advantage to do so since we would probably secure support for our views from that quarter. He pointed out that the stationing of U.S. forces in Japan would make the United States vulnerable to propaganda charges of imperialism from the Communist Powers and would eventually cause resentment in Japan unless it was clear from the beginning that those forces would be withdrawn within a definite period. He also expressed some concern lest economic pressure force Japan into the Communist orbit in spite of all that we could do but he agreed that a generous peace with no restrictions was more apt to accomplish our aims than one designed to force Japan into the orbit of the Western Powers.

C[?] S[tanton] B[abcock]

1. Jan Herman van Roijen was Ambassador of the Netherlands in Canada.
2. Presumably the 7-point memorandum of September 11, p. 1296. In telegram 357 to Taipei, October 20, the Department stated in part that what was apparently the 7-point memorandum had been handed to FEC nations with whom treaty discussions had not yet been held.
3. An unsigned paper of September 22 on Japan, part of a briefing series for high officers of the Department, read in part: “The Ambassadors of Indonesia and Korea have also been informed [of the preliminary treaty discussions] although, since their governments are not members of the FEC, they are not being invited to participate at this stage.” (“Policy Record Guide,” 611.00/9–2250 Bulky)