740.0011 Pacific War/3154½
Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
Mr. Berle: The memorandum here attached,32 by FE, is essentially self-explanatory. FE proposes the creation of a board or committee the function of which shall be to handle intelligence data with regard to the Pacific area in a manner adequately attentive to the political aspects of the relationships which prevail among or which need to be cultivated among those of the Allied nations that are especially and directly concerned with developments in the Pacific and Far Eastern regions.
The question of political relationships during war and looking toward the period that will follow war is a problem involving many angles and a multitude of facets. There is a tendency, in the midst of attention to the paramount problem of making and executing military plans and operations, to overlook or give scant consideration to not a few of these angles and facets—especially those that lie or appear to lie in the realm of the “imponderables” or “intangibles”.
I am convinced, from observation, that there is much that is lacking in this Government’s handling of some of the problems wherein there are involved a combination of military, political, psychological and other factors. We are not, it seems to me, making the most of the potentialities of some of our allies, nor are we deriving the maximum of the advantages which are potential in the creation, cultivation and exploitation of the United Nations concept. I believe that we could get a good deal more out of some of our allies by giving a good deal more to them: get more in connection with the war effort and get more in connection with the coming peace effort. Regardless of the circumstances attending Mr. Willkie’s33 utterances on the subject of “reservoirs of good will”, there was and is much to what that observer and critic said on that subject. We should cultivate, encourage, make use of and derive advantage from good will on the part of our allies—the little and the middle-sized ones as well as the big ones.
The idea developed in FE’s memorandum under reference therefore appeals to me and should, I think, be given careful consideration.
From a practical point of view this idea ties in with and might readily be given consideration in connection with a question which had the attention of the J. I. C.34 recently: the question of creating an office or at least appointing a qualified officer to perform the function of improving relations with the military representatives here of the [Page 31] Netherlands and of China. I am of the opinion that the problem then considered might well be given further consideration, in broader terms than before, in the light of the suggestion offered in FE’s memorandum.
If these suggestions appeal to you, you might perhaps care to revive the question at a meeting in the near future of the J. I. C.35