Office of the Historian

790.5/7–2154

Memorandum of Conversation, by Walter H. Drew of the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs

secret
[Washington,] July 21, 1954.

Subject:

  • Multilateral Treaty Arrangements in Asia

Participants:

  • Mr. M. G. L. Joy, First Secretary, British Embassy
  • Mr. R. H. Wade, First Secretary, Embassy of New Zealand
  • Mr. J. L. Allen, Second Secretary, Embassy of Australia
  • Mr. Robert J. G. McClurkin, Deputy Director, Office of Northeast Asian Affairs
  • Mr. Walter Drew, NA

In the course of a periodic exchange of views with Messrs. Joy, Allen and Wade, Mr. McClurkin asked what the reactions of their governments might be to including the Republic of Korea and Japan in a Southeast Asia Treaty Organization in the event that [Page 649] relations between Korea and Japan were normalized. He pointed out that the rearmament of Japan might be carried out advantageously within the context of an Asian pact and that if Japan were included, it would also be necessary to include Korea, which has the largest non-Communist Army in Asia. Mr. McClurkin suggested that it might also be profitable to explore the possibility of Northeast Asian and Southeast Asian security organizations which would be interlocking. He said that he had raised the possibility of interlocking pacts in general terms with Ambassador Iguchi of Japan and that the Ambassador had indicated that Japan would not be unwilling to think about it.1

Mr. Joy said that the most important problem was to get India with its 330,000,000 uncommitted people into a pact. He considered that if Japan and Korea were included in an Asian pact then it would be necessary to include Formosa, and for practical purposes this would preclude Indian participation. He said that his personal view was that the Foreign Office might look with greater favor, however, on the idea of interlocking pacts. He commented that membership in a Northern Pacific Treaty Organization might give the Republic of Korea sufficient strength to permit it to negotiate peaceful unification with North Korea.

Mr. Allen commented that two interlocking pacts seemed like a good idea, although he could not speak for his government at this point. He said, however, that he knew his government did not want Japan or Korea or, particularly, Formosa to be included in a Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.

Mr. Wade said that he thought that the idea of interlocking treaty organizations had potentialities, although he wondered whether membership in a North Pacific Treaty Organization might encourage the Republic of Korea to renew hostilities against North Korea. Mr. McClurkin said that he believed that Republic of Korea membership in a North Pacific Treaty Organization would give it some hope for the future and thus diminish any inclination to resort to unilateral military action.

  1. In a memorandum of a conversation held on July 23 at the request of Shigenobu Shima (Minister at the Japanese Embassy), Richard B. Finn, Officer in Charge of Japanese Affairs, wrote:

    “Possible participation by Japan and the Republic of Korea in a treaty organization was raised by Mr. Shima. Mr. McClurkin said the United States hopes for establishment of normal relations between these two countries and said their immediate participation in a collective defense organization was not at present being considered. Mr. Shima observed that Japan would not be able to participate in a collective defense organization since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is generally interpreted to prohibit the sending of Japanese forces abroad; in this connection he said some legal experts in Japan believe Article 9 would not prohibit Japan’s placing forces under a joint command in response to a United Nations resolution for collective action.” (790.5/7–2354)

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